1
as in lame
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
one more sorry stunt like that and you'll be fired
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sad
causing unhappiness
we have sorry news to report tonight
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in pathetic
deserving pitying scorn (as for inadequacy)
the ragtag circus was a sorry spectacle indeed
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in ashamed
feeling sorrow for a wrong that one has done
she's genuinely sorry for hurting his feelings
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness
was sorry to see the family farm being sold
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6
as in heartbroken
expressing or suggesting mourning
those sorry rituals that we go through when somebody dies are not for the dead but for the living
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7
as in poor
deserving of one's pity
some sorry wretch had the task of putting all of those files back in order
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sorry
In other words, guests who shell out $75K a pop to go to this thing are better off safe than sorry.
—
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
Federal and state governments have a long and sorry history of using their power to surveil Americans.
—Ross Marchand, Baltimore Sun, 7 May 2025
The state’s sorry record of implementing information technology prior to the emergence of AI as a tool warrants skepticism.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 7 May 2025
And don’t use those lemony aerosols (sorry, Pledge), which leave a silicone residue.
—Clark Hodgin, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sorry
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 7 May 2025
Federal and state governments have a long and sorry history of using their power to surveil Americans.
—Ross Marchand, Baltimore Sun, 7 May 2025
The state’s sorry record of implementing information technology prior to the emergence of AI as a tool warrants skepticism.
—Dan Walters, Mercury News, 7 May 2025
And don’t use those lemony aerosols (sorry, Pledge), which leave a silicone residue.
—Clark Hodgin, New York Times, 2 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sorry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sorry
Adjective
-
As holidays go, however, Flag Day can feel a bit lame.—
Kevin Fisher-Paulson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 June 2021
-
My 11-year-old loved watching the pups roll balls and play a giant floor piano, but for non-dog owners (guilty as charged), parts of the series—like dressing dogs in little hats and outfits for a Parisian fashion show—feel lame.—
Tim Neville,
Outside Online,
23 Nov. 2020
Adjective
-
After the show, there's booze, girls, and hotel suites, but Abel's locked in the bathroom, being sad.—
Jordan Hoffman,
EW.com,
15 May 2025
-
For someone who prizes roadside Americana, this is the visual version of the sad trombone sound.—
Christopher Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2025
Adjective
-
No other governor, remember, has tried to pull off this pathetic budget stunt.—
Joe Soucheray,
Twin Cities,
10 May 2025
-
In his last, most pathetic years, Mark Twain threw himself behind the crackpot theory that the true author of Shakespeare’s plays may have been Francis Bacon.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
While red, inflamed skin was often seen as the norm, my flares—ranging from deep brown or purplish dry patches to clusters of tiny, itchy bumps—looked more like a disease to be feared and ashamed of rather than understood and treated.—
Raelle Kennedy,
Health,
12 May 2025
-
Otherwise, higher education will transform our sons and daughters into people who feel ashamed of themselves and hate their country.—
James Unnever,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2025
Adjective
-
However, the Palestinians are unhappy with the speed of FIFA’s inquiries.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
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Their presidential candidate, Erika Meza, a 25-year veteran teacher from the Southeast Side, is unhappy with what CTU has come to symbolize.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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After everyone left, her husband apologized for his mother’s absence and thanked her for her hard work, but the experience left her heartbroken.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
8 May 2025
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Stacy Melo, an east Arlington resident, told the City Council that she was left heartbroken and shocked the last time TotalEnergies came before council.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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The original doesn’t go that deeply into it, but this poor girl was essentially forced to be a teen mom at this time in her life when all of her friends would be graduating high school and dating and thinking about their futures.—
Patrick Ryan,
USA Today,
24 May 2025
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The product was released in 2023 to a poor reception, and discontinued before the company began winding down operations in February.—
Tom Huddleston Jr.,
CNBC,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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But the rates were pitiful: $9.87 for a 13-mile trip, $19.97 for a 25-mile trip and so on.—
Eli Tan,
New York Times,
14 May 2025
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Israel’s performance in climate mitigation, moving to renewable energies, is pitiful — just 12% when some countries are 70%.—
JTA Staff Report,
Sun Sentinel,
5 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sorry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sorry. Accessed 27 May. 2025.
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