sorry Meaning & Definition
What Does Sorry Mean?
As an adjective, sorry means Of a person, regretful or apologetic for one's actions. It can also mean Of a person, grieved or saddened, especially by the loss of something or someone. As an interjection, it means Expresses regret, remorse, or sorrow. As a noun, it means The act of saying sorry; an apology.
Quick Facts About Sorry
| Part of speech | adjective, interjection, noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | //ˈsɒɹi// |
| Syllables | 1 |
| Synonyms | compassionate, contrite and dismal |
| Antonyms | unregretful and unregretting |
| Plural | sorries |
| Comparative / superlative | sorrier, sorriest |
| Verb forms | sorries, sorrying, sorried |
Sorry Definition (Adjective)
- Of a person, regretful or apologetic for one's actions.
I am sorry I stepped on your toes. It was an accident.
- Of a person, grieved or saddened, especially by the loss of something or someone.
I feel sorry for you, about your exam results.
- Poor, pitifully sad or regrettable.
The storm left his garden in a sorry state.
- Pathetic; contemptibly inadequate.
Bob is a sorry excuse for a football player.
Sorry as an Interjection
- Expresses regret, remorse, or sorrow.
Sorry! I didn't see that you were on the phone.
- Said as a request to excuse one's unintentional behaviors.
Oops! Sorry!
- Said as a request to pass somebody.
Sorry! Coming through!
- Used as a request for someone to repeat something not heard or understood clearly.
Sorry? What was that? The phone cut out.
- Used to correct oneself in speech.
There are four—sorry, five—local branches of the store.
- Used as a hedge.
Sorry, but I don't care what you think.
Sorry as a Noun
- The act of saying sorry; an apology.
Sorry as a Verb
- To feel sorry (for someone).
Adjective
- (of a person) Regretful for an action; grieved or saddened, especially by the loss of something or someone.
I am sorry I stepped on your toes. It was an accident.
- Pathetic and inferior to the point of causing others disgust.
Bob is a sorry excuse for a football player.
Synonyms of Sorry
Antonyms of Sorry
Sorry in a Sentence
I am sorry I stepped on your toes. It was an accident.
I feel sorry for you, about your exam results.
The President was sorry to hear that the Ambassador was leaving.
The storm left his garden in a sorry state.
Bob is a sorry excuse for a football player.
Sorry! I didn't see that you were on the phone.
Sorry about yesterday. — No worries.
Sorry I’m so late.
Oops! Sorry!
Sorry! Coming through!
Sorry? What was that? The phone cut out.
There are four—sorry, five—local branches of the store.
Sorry, but I don't care what you think.
There are four — sorry, five — branches of the store locally.
Word Forms & Grammar
sorry (comparative sorrier, superlative sorriest)
sorry
sorry (plural sorries or sorrys)
sorry (third-person singular simple present sorries, present participle sorrying, simple past and past participle sorried)
Words That Rhyme With Sorry
Origin of Sorry
From Middle English sory, from Old English sāriġ (“feeling or expressing grief, sorry, grieved, sorrowful, sad, mournful, bitter”), from Proto-West Germanic *sairag, from Proto-Germanic *sairagaz (“sad”), from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂yro (“hard, rough, painful”). Cognate with Scots sairie (“sad, grieved”), Saterland Frisian seerich (“sore, inflamed”), West Frisian searich (“sad, sorry”), Low German serig (“sick, scabby”), German dialectal sehrig (“sore, sad, painful”), Swedish sårig. By surface analysis, sor(e) + -y. Unrelated to sorrow despite the similarity in form and meaning.
Sorry Pronunciation
The standard pronunciation of sorry is //ˈsɒɹi//, spoken in 1 syllable.
Sorry: Your Questions Answered
Is sorry an adjective or an interjection?
Sorry is mainly used as an adjective, but it can also be used as an interjection, a noun and a verb.
What is another word for sorry?
Close synonyms of sorry are compassionate, contrite and dismal. See the full list of sorry synonyms and antonyms.
What is the opposite of sorry?
The opposite of sorry can be expressed with words like unregretful and unregretting.
What is the plural of sorry?
The plural of sorry is sorries.
What is the past tense of sorry?
The past tense of sorry is sorried. The present participle is sorrying.