sorriness

S1O1R1R1I1N1E1S1S1

noun

The state or quality of being sorry; regret.

Similar
paltriness
OriginMiddle English sorinesse ← Old English sāriġnes ← Proto-West Germanic *sairaganassī →
Scrabble 9
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Meanings

nounsorriness (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe state or quality of being sorry; regret.
  2. uncountableWorthlessness; wretchedness.

    His friend, Mr. Smith, thought that "a sorry farmer on a sorry farm is a sorry sight." Bill hardly attained that level of sorriness.

    1967, Shields McIlwaine, The Southern Poor-white from Lubberland to Tobacco Road

Synonyms & antonyms

nounworthlessness due to insignificance

Similar
paltriness
Broader
worthlessnessineptitude
Also see
compunctioncontritionguiltpaltrinessregretremorseruth

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-West Germanic*sairaganassī
  2. Old Englishsāriġnes
  3. Middle Englishsorinesse
  4. Englishsorriness

From Middle English sorinesse, from Old English sāriġnes, from Proto-West Germanic *sairaganassī, *sairīganassī; equivalent to sorry + -ness. Cognate with West Frisian searigens (“soreness, tenderness”).

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

sorriness. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sorriness

MLA

“sorriness.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sorriness. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sorriness,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sorriness.

Source: sorriness on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.