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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Should the latter turn out to be true, this will add to an already long list of sorry mistakes.
—
Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Yeah, let’s fight — sorry, argue about Hamlet.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
The human race is in a sorry state, and here comes Yorgos Lanthimos with an aggressively wicked black comedy, Bugonia—premiering at the Venice Film Festival—to tell us all about it.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Plenty of older adaptations of a writer like Agatha Christie are a murderer’s row (sorry) of big-name talent and the celebrity faces don’t detract from anything.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sorry
Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
Yeah, let’s fight — sorry, argue about Hamlet.
—Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 29 Aug. 2025
The human race is in a sorry state, and here comes Yorgos Lanthimos with an aggressively wicked black comedy, Bugonia—premiering at the Venice Film Festival—to tell us all about it.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
Plenty of older adaptations of a writer like Agatha Christie are a murderer’s row (sorry) of big-name talent and the celebrity faces don’t detract from anything.
—Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 28 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sorry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sorry
Adjective
-
Shootouts are lame in comparison.—
Chris Branch,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
-
On the other hand, Powell probably has little incentive to commit firmly given high lame-duck status and the fact that more employment and inflation numbers will hit before the September meeting.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
But now, the King and the royal family have received very sad news that will change things going forward.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Shooting scenes in wide or medium shots that sometimes break into Hsiao-Lee’s harrowing point-of-view, cinematographer Yu Jing-Pin depicts a world without much color or hope, while sets by Huang Mei-Ching and Tu Shuo-Feng emphasize a sad and impoverished existence.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The end of that era came slowly, through the pathetic collapse of Syria and Lebanon as functioning states, and then quickly, when Israel began touching Hezbollah in unexpected places.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
-
Want the poop on this pathetic history?—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
30 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
This doesn’t seem like a company that is ashamed to be caught stealing.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Some were too ashamed to speak publicly.—
Felipe Schrieberg,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Both Ways on Netflix The Lovebirds In the 2020 adventure comedy The Lovebirds, Issa Rae and Kumail Nanjiani play an unhappy couple on the brink of splitting up.—
James Mercadante,
PEOPLE,
4 Sep. 2025
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But surveys have also shown many reservists are unhappy with the cabinet's plans, some openly accusing the government of lacking a cohesive strategy, a post-war plan for Gaza or a clear benchmark for victory.—
Emily Rose,
USA Today,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Hill’s 21-year-old son told WXYZ that his whole family is heartbroken.—
Jennifer Rodriguez,
Kansas City Star,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Over the past half-decade, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival has been called off three times, leaving behind unrealized lineups, swampy farmlands, and heartbroken fans.—
Audrey Gibbs,
The Tennessean,
3 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But prorating three years of player profits down to 12 months, as UEFA’s rule does, reduces the immediate efficacy of successful trading in the market, the very strategy that poorer clubs increasingly rely on to climb the ladder.—
Chris Weatherspoon,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
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Like most extended car warranty providers, CarShield excludes pre-existing conditions that existed before your warranty took effect, as well as damage resulting from poor maintenance, neglect or intentional abuse.—
Brian Sloan,
CNBC,
4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As del Toro sees it, Frankenstein’s pitiful creation has been cursed with life, cannot be killed (even bullets don’t stop him) and must face the same existential crisis that confronts us all.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
30 Aug. 2025
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Over 1,000 murdered whilst queuing for aid, starved due to their siege, whilst pitiful amounts of aid delivered by a sham agency controlled by Israel.—
Emily Zemler,
Rolling Stone,
20 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sorry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sorry. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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