Sorry Definition & Meaning

sorry
adjective
  1. feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone; "felt regretful over his vanished youth"; "regretful over mistakes she had made"; "he felt bad about breaking the vase"
  2. bad; unfortunate; "my finances were in a deplorable state"; "a lamentable decision"; "her clothes were in sad shape"; "a sorry state of affairs"
  3. without merit; "a sorry horse"; "a sorry excuse"; "a lazy no- count, good-for-nothing goldbrick"; "the car was a no-good piece of junk"
  4. causing dejection; "a blue day"; "the dark days of the war"; "a week of rainy depressing weather"; "a disconsolate winter landscape"; "the first dismal dispiriting days of November"; "a dark gloomy day"; "grim rainy weather"

Synonyms for sorry

bad adv

with great intensity (`bad' is a nonstandard variant for `badly'); "the injury hurt badly

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cheerless adj

causing sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy; "the economic outlook is depressing

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compassionate adj

showing or having compassion; "heard the soft and compassionate voices of women" share the suffering of

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contrite adj

feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses

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deplorable adj

bad; unfortunate; "my finances were in a deplorable state"; "a lamentable decision"; "her clothes were in sad shape

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dingy adj

thickly covered with ingrained dirt or soot; "a miner's begrimed face"; "dingy linen"; "grimy hands

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dismal adj

causing dejection; "a blue day"; "the dark days of the war"; "a week of rainy depressing weather

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distressing adj

causing distress or worry or anxiety; "distressing (or disturbing) news

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drab adj

lacking in liveliness or charm or surprise; "her drab personality

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drear adj

causing dejection; "a blue day"; "the dark days of the war"; "a week of rainy depressing weather

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"Sorry" in song lyrics

See how sorry is used in real songs:

  • "JAMIE, I killed the robots and I'm sorry"
    Aesop Rock — 1 of 4 (Thank You)
  • "A glance along tomorrow, sorry"
    Aesop Rock f/ Dose One — Drawbridge
  • "Herc, DMC, Moe Dee. I'm sorry"
    Annakin Slayd — Rhythm's Last Stand

Words that rhyme with sorry

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Usage tips for "sorry"

Understanding the precise definition of a word helps you use it with confidence. When using "sorry" in your writing, consider whether you need the word itself or one of its synonyms — subtle differences in meaning can change the tone of a sentence. If you're writing poetry or song lyrics, check the rhymes for sorry to find words that pair well.

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♫ Rhymes with sorry ↔ Synonyms for sorry 🔬 Words containing sorry

Frequently asked questions

What does sorry mean?
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone; "felt regretful over his vanished youth"; "regretful over mistakes she had made"; "he felt bad about breaking the vase" bad; unfortunate; "my finances were in a deplorable state"; "a lamentable decision"; "her clothes were in sad shape"; "a sorry state of affairs" without merit; "a sorry horse"; "a sorry excuse"; "a lazy no- count, good-for-nothing goldbrick
What part of speech is sorry?
Sorry is an adjective.
How many definitions does sorry have?
Sorry has 4 definitions across 1 part of speech (adjective).

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