sorry

adjective

sor·ry ˈsär-ē

ˈsȯr-

sorrier; sorriest

: feeling sorrow or sympathy

I'm so sorry for your loss.

We were very sorry to hear the news.

She felt sorry for him. [=she felt sympathy and concern for him because of his situation, problems, etc.]

He told me to stop feeling sorry for myself. [=to stop indulging in self-pity]

: feeling regret or penitence

He was sorry about what he had said.

"I wanted to apologize," she said, "for my abominable rudeness in laughing at you just now. It was idiotic of me and I don't know why I did it. I'm sorry."

P. G. Wodehouse

"… I'm so sorry, but the tongs were too hot, and so I've made a mess," groaned poor Jo, regarding the little black pancakes with tears of regret.

Louisa May Alcott

I am sorry we have ever differed, and extremely sorry I have ever given you offence.

Charles Dickens

—used to express polite regret

I'm sorry, but I think you're wrong.I'm sorry to interrupt you.

—used to introduce disappointing or bad news in a polite way

I'm sorry, but we won't be able to come.

— used as an apology for a minor fault or offense

Oh, sorry—that was clumsy of me.I'm late again. Sorry about that. [=I'm sorry; I apologize]

: mournful, sad

Rilla remembered one moonlit evening of childhood when she had said to her mother, "The moon just looks like a sorry, sorry face."

Lucy Maud Montgomery

: inspiring sorrow, pity, scorn, or ridicule : pitiful

Their affairs were in a sorry state.

Lawrence blushed, and then smiled awkwardly. A man in love is a sorry spectacle.

Agatha Christie

In view of the sorry treatment of the Native Americans of the US, it is time that their voice was heard a little more clearly in contemporary American society.

Tim Flannery

… had been on her way to work when her rusted-out, … sorry excuse for a car … choked on its last drop of gasoline, then died.

Ingrid Law

sorrily

ˈsär-ə-lē

ˈsȯr-

adverb

sorriness

ˈsär-ē-nəs

ˈsȯr-

noun

Choose the Right Synonym for sorry

contemptible, despicable, pitiable, sorry, scurvy mean arousing or deserving scorn.

contemptible may imply any quality provoking scorn or a low standing in any scale of values.

a contemptible liar

despicable may imply utter worthlessness and usually suggests arousing an attitude of moral indignation.

a despicable crime

pitiable applies to what inspires mixed contempt and pity.

a pitiable attempt at tragedy

sorry may stress pitiable inadequacy or may suggest wretchedness or sordidness.

this rattletrap is a sorry excuse for a car

scurvy adds to despicable an implication of arousing disgust.

a scurvy crew of hangers-on

Example Sentences

I'm sorry if I offended you. She was sorry to hear about their divorce. I'm sorry for your loss. I'm sorry for saying that. I'm sorry that I wasted your time. What a sorry state of affairs we're in now. That's the sorriest excuse I've heard. See More

Recent Examples on the Web And there’s a single drumbeat driving his work: things are bad, the badness is out there, and, sorry to say, the badness is getting closer.

Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 21 Nov. 2022 Kimberly tries her darnedest not to feel sorry for herself, and the authors pay her the respect of not permitting us to sentimentalize her much, either.

Peter Marks, Washington Post, 11 Nov. 2022 Proximity to fresh water is an age-old problem for human settlements; as cities consume, they (sorry) excrete things too—cumulatively, in the form of sewage and solid waste, which taint that most sensitive local resource, water.

Robert Sullivan, The New Republic, 10 Nov. 2022 Read the care instructions that are included by the manufacturer and follow them precisely to prevent being sorry later.

Belle Duchene, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2022 The Skims founder formed a group of X-Women (sorry) alongside friends Olivia Pierson as Magik and Natalie Halcro as Selene.

Carrie Wittmer, Glamour, 31 Oct. 2022 Her regret is relatable (who among us hasn’t bawled upon realizing the consequences of our actions), and the clear cue is that the audience, like the kids who’ve been battling the witches for the entire movie, should feel sorry for her.

Holly Thomas, CNN, 29 Oct. 2022 The organization is a mess, and nobody is going to feel sorry for a team that includes James and Davis.

Gary Washburn, BostonGlobe.com, 29 Oct. 2022 Back to Venezuela, and the Ferrari being in a sorry state.

Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 15 Nov. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sorry.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.