Meanings
comparative sorrier · superlative sorriest
- Of a person, regretful or apologetic for one's actions.
I am sorry I stepped on your toes. It was an accident.
Synonyms: apologetic, compunctious, contrite, penitent, regretful, remorseful, repentant, regretful
- Of a person, grieved or saddened, especially by the loss of something or someone.
I feel sorry for you, about your exam results.
1 more example
The President was sorry to hear that the Ambassador was leaving.
Synonyms: heavy-hearted, melancholy, mournful, atrabiliary, atrabilious, blitheless, dispirited, blue
- Poor, pitifully sad or regrettable.
The storm left his garden in a sorry state.
3 more examples
... often the only movement on the landscape is winter smoke winding out the chimney of some sorry-looking farmhouse ...
1948, Truman Capote, Other Voices, Other Rooms, Part One, 1That his rigid denial of the personhood of women should so completely and immediately win a contemporary Boston audience, is a sorry index.
1974 February 16, Jonathan Cross, “The Fag in the fifth row”, in Gay Community News, volume 1, number 34, page 5In my worked-up state, I believed that a thermometer would dignify the sorry house I inherited, would endow it, however superficially, with a civilized bearing.
1999, John Vernon, “Heat”, in A Book of Reasons, Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin Company, →ISBN, page 17Synonyms: pathetic, pitiable, compassionate, pathetic, pathetisad, piteous, pitiable, pitiful
- Pathetic; contemptibly inadequate.
Bob is a sorry excuse for a football player.
1 more example
The sorry experience did little to suggest that Musk knows how to run a social media platform or that DeSantis is capable of governing a global superpower armed with nuclear weapons.
2023 May 25, David Smith, “Failure to launch: Twitter glitches deal double blow to Elon Musk and Ron DeSantis”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 10 Aug 2023Synonyms: deficient, insufficient, awanting, deficient, dismal, exiguous, geason, inadequate
- Used as a request for someone to repeat something not heard or understood clearly.
Sorry? What was that? The phone cut out.
Synonyms: I beg your pardon?, I'm sorry?, say again, come again, excuse me?
- 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.
plural sorries · plural sorrys
- The act of saying sorry; an apology.
So learn how to tailor your sorries to the sexes. Women tend to want an acknowledgment of what they're going through...
2008, Lucy S. Danziger, Self Magazine's 15 Minutes to Your Best Self1 more example
The British would do it standing stock still, Latinos would dance their sorries, and Canadians would find a way to apologize on ice.
2007, Christopher Levan, Give Us This Day: Lenten Reflections on Baking Bread and Discipleship, page 107
present singular third person sorries · participle present sorrying · participle past sorried · past sorried
- intransitiveraretransitiveTo feel sorry (for someone).
Jus' that once I sorried for her. Souls cross the skies o' time, Abbess'd say, like clouds crossin' skies o' the world.
2004, David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas, Toronto, Ont.: Vintage Canada, →ISBN, page 302
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveOf a person, regretful or apologetic for one's actions.
adjectiveOf a person, grieved or saddened, especially by the loss of something or someone.
adjectivePoor, pitifully sad or regrettable.
adjectivePathetic; contemptibly inadequate.
interjectionExpresses regret, remorse, or sorrow.
interjectionSaid as a request to excuse one's unintentional behaviors.
interjectionSaid as a request to pass somebody.
interjectionUsed as a request for someone to repeat something not heard or understood clearly.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivefeeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
adjectivebad; unfortunate
adjectivewithout merit; of little or no value or use
adjectivecausing dejection
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*seh₂yro“hard, rough, painful”
- Proto-Germanic*sairagaz“sad”
- Proto-West Germanic*sairag
- Old Englishsāriġ“feeling or expressing grief, sorry, grieved, sorrowful, sad, mournful, bitter”
- Middle Englishsory
- Englishsorry
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.
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans jammer, ekskuus
- jammerexpression of regret or sorrow
- ekskuusrequest to repeat
- wat het jy gesê?request to repeat
- wat sê jy?request to repeat
- verskoning vraact of saying sorry
Ancient Greek φαῦλος
- φαῦλος (phaûlos)poor, regrettable
Arabic آسِف, حَزِين
- آسِف (ʔāsif)repentant, apologetic
- حَزِين (ḥazīn)grieved, saddened
- مُؤْسِف (muʔsif)poor, regrettable
- مُحْزِن (muḥzin)poor, regrettable
- آسِف (ʔāsif)expression of regret or sorrow
- آسِفَة (ʔāsifa)expression of regret or sorrow
- أَنَا آسِف (ʔanā ʔāsif)expression of regret or sorrow
- أَنَا آسِفَة (ʔanā ʔāsifa)expression of regret or sorrow
- اِعْذِرْنِي (iʕḏirnī)expression of regret or sorrow
- عَفْوًا! (ʕafwan!)request to repeat
- مَاذَا قُلْتَ؟ (māḏā qulta?)request to repeat
- مَاذَا قُلْتِ؟ (māḏā qulti?)request to repeat
- عُذْراً! (ʕuḏran!)request to repeat
Basque barka, barkamen
- barkaexpression of regret or sorrow
- barkamenexpression of regret or sorrow
Bengali দুঃখিত, মাফ করবেন
- দুঃখিত (dukkhito)expression of regret or sorrow
- মাফ করবেন (maph korben)expression of regret or sorrow
- সরি (śori)expression of regret or sorrow
Bulgarian съжаляващ, тъжен
- съжаляващ (săžaljavašt)repentant, apologetic
- тъжен (tăžen)grieved, saddened
- мрачен (mračen)grieved, saddened
- жалък (žalăk)poor, regrettable
- извине́те (izvinéte)expression of regret or sorrow
- извинявай (izvinjavaj)expression of regret or sorrow
- съжалявам (săžaljavam)expression of regret or sorrow
- пардо́н (pardón)expression of regret or sorrow
- просте́те (prostéte)expression of regret or sorrow
- прости́ (prostí)expression of regret or sorrow
- мо́ля? (mólja?)request to repeat
Catalan penedint, saber greu
- penedintrepentant, apologetic
- saber greugrieved, saddened
- sentirse malgrieved, saddened
- llastimóspoor, regrettable
- perdóexpression of regret or sorrow
- disculpesexpression of regret or sorrow
- perdórequest to repeat
Chinese Cantonese 對不起 /对不起, 對唔住 /对唔住
- 對不起 /对不起 (deoi³ bat¹ hei²)expression of regret or sorrow
- 對唔住 /对唔住 (deoi³ m⁴ jyu⁶)expression of regret or sorrow
- 唔好意思 (m⁴ hou² ji³ si¹)expression of regret or sorrow
Chinese Mandarin 對不起 /对不起, 抱歉
- 對不起 /对不起 (duìbùqǐ)expression of regret or sorrow
- 抱歉 (bàoqiàn)expression of regret or sorrow
- 不好意思 (bù hǎoyìsi)expression of regret or sorrow
- 對不住 /对不住 (duìbùzhù)expression of regret or sorrow
- 請再説一遍 /请再说一遍 (qǐng zài shuō yíbiàn)request to repeat
- 再説一遍 /再说一遍 (zài shuō yíbiàn)request to repeat
- 什麼？ /什么？ (shénme)request to repeat
- 哦？ (é?)request to repeat
Czech žalostný, promiň
- žalostnýpoor, regrettable
- promiňexpression of regret or sorrow
- promiňteexpression of regret or sorrow
- pardonexpression of regret or sorrow
- prosím?request to repeat
Danish sørgelig, undskyld
- sørgeligpoor, regrettable
- undskyldexpression of regret or sorrow
- beklagerexpression of regret or sorrow
- undskyldrequest to repeat
Dutch bedroefd, armzalig
- bedroefdgrieved, saddened
- armzaligpoor, regrettable
- treurigpoor, regrettable
- sorryexpression of regret or sorrow
- het spijt meexpression of regret or sorrow
- pardonexpression of regret or sorrow
- excuseerexpression of regret or sorrow
- pardon?request to repeat
- wat zegt urequest to repeat
- wat zeg jerequest to repeat
Esperanto mi bedaŭras, mi pardonpetas
- mi bedaŭrasexpression of regret or sorrow
- mi pardonpetasexpression of regret or sorrow
- pardonuexpression of regret or sorrow
- pardonurequest to repeat
Estonian vabandust, andestust
- vabandustexpression of regret or sorrow
- andestustexpression of regret or sorrow
- andeksexpression of regret or sorrow
- sorryexpression of regret or sorrow
Finnish surkea, surullinen
- surkeapoor, regrettable
- surullinenpoor, regrettable
- anteeksiexpression of regret or sorrow
- soriexpression of regret or sorrow
- olen pahoillaniexpression of regret or sorrow
- pahoittelenexpression of regret or sorrow
- tarkoitanto correct oneself in speech
- siisto correct oneself in speech
- anteeksirequest to repeat
- anteeksipyyntöact of saying sorry
- pahoitteluact of saying sorry
French désolé, regrettant
- désolérepentant, apologetic
- regrettantrepentant, apologetic
- navrégrieved, saddened
- désolégrieved, saddened
- piteuxpoor, regrettable
- désoléexpression of regret or sorrow
- navréexpression of regret or sorrow
- excusez-moiexpression of regret or sorrow
- excuse-moiexpression of regret or sorrow
- pardon je m'excuseexpression of regret or sorrow
- pardonto correct oneself in speech
- désoléto correct oneself in speech
- excusez-moirequest to repeat
- excuse-moirequest to repeat
- pardon?request to repeat
- comment?request to repeat
- quoirequest to repeat
German beklagenswert, armselig
- beklagenswertpoor, regrettable
- armseligpoor, regrettable
- traurigpoor, regrettable
- Entschuldigungexpression of regret or sorrow
- sorryexpression of regret or sorrow
- entschuldigen Sie bitteexpression of regret or sorrow
- verzeihen Sie bitteexpression of regret or sorrow
- es tut mir leidexpression of regret or sorrow
- ich bitte um Entschuldigungexpression of regret or sorrow
- Verzeihungexpression of regret or sorrow
- wie bitte?request to repeat
- bitte?request to repeat
- wie?request to repeat
Greek συγνώμη, συγγνώμη
- συγνώμη (sygnómi)poor, regrettable
- συγγνώμη (syngnómi)expression of regret or sorrow
- συγγνώμη (syngnómi)act of saying sorry
Hebrew מִצְטַעֵר
- מִצְטַעֵר (mitsta'ér)expression of regret or sorrow
Hindi माफ़ कीजिए, सॉरी
- माफ़ कीजिए (māf kījie)expression of regret or sorrow
- सॉरी (sŏrī)expression of regret or sorrow
Hungarian elnézést, elnézést kérek
- elnézéstexpression of regret or sorrow
- elnézést kérekexpression of regret or sorrow
- bocsánatexpression of regret or sorrow
- bocsexpression of regret or sorrow
- tessék?request to repeat
- elnézést, nem értemrequest to repeat
Icelandic fyrirgefðu, afsakið
- fyrirgefðuexpression of regret or sorrow
- afsakiðexpression of regret or sorrow
- fyrirgefðu mérexpression of regret or sorrow
- afsakið?request to repeat
- fyrirgefðu?request to repeat
Indonesian maaf, maaf
- maafexpression of regret or sorrow
- maafrequest to repeat
Irish tá brón orm, gabh mo leithscéal
- tá brón ormexpression of regret or sorrow
- gabh mo leithscéalrequest to repeat
Italian stare dispiaciuto, dispiaciuto
- stare dispiaciutorepentant, apologetic
- dispiaciutogrieved, saddened
- scusiexpression of regret or sorrow
- scusaexpression of regret or sorrow
- mi scusiexpression of regret or sorrow
- spiacenteexpression of regret or sorrow
- spiacentiexpression of regret or sorrow
- cosa?request to repeat
- come?request to repeat
- scusa?request to repeat
- eh?request to repeat
- scusi?request to repeat
- mi scusi?request to repeat
- scuseact of saying sorry
Japanese すまない, 申し訳ない
- すまない (sumanai)repentant, apologetic
- 申し訳ない (mōshiwakenai)repentant, apologetic
- 残念 (zannen)grieved, saddened
- 遺憾 (ikan)grieved, saddened
- 恐縮 (kyōshuku)grieved, saddened
- 気の毒 (ki no doku)poor, regrettable
- かわいそう (kawaisō)poor, regrettable
- 残念 (zannen)poor, regrettable
- 遺憾 (ikan)poor, regrettable
- すみません (sumimasen)expression of regret or sorrow
- すまない (sumanai)expression of regret or sorrow
- ごめんなさい (gomennasai)expression of regret or sorrow
- ごめん 失礼しました (gomen)expression of regret or sorrow
- 申し訳ありません (mōshiwake arimasen)expression of regret or sorrow
- もう一回 (mō ikkai)request to repeat
- もう一度 (mō ichido)request to repeat
- もう一度いってください (mō ichido itte kudasai)request to repeat
- 何？ (nani?)request to repeat
- え？ (e?)request to repeat
Korean 죄송하다, 미안하다
- 죄송하다 (joesong-hada)repentant, apologetic
- 미안하다 (mian-hada)repentant, apologetic
- 안타깝다 (antakkapda)grieved, saddened
- 죄송합니다 (joesonghamnida)expression of regret or sorrow
- 미안합니다 (mianhamnida)expression of regret or sorrow
- 실례합니다 (sillyehamnida)expression of regret or sorrow
- 미안 (mian)expression of regret or sorrow
- 미안해요 (mianhaeyo)expression of regret or sorrow
- 죄송해요 (joesonghaeyo)expression of regret or sorrow
- 아니 (ani)to correct oneself in speech
- 아니요 (aniyo)to correct oneself in speech
- 네? (ne?)request to repeat
- 예? (ye?)request to repeat
- 다시 한번 더 말씀해주세요 (dasi hanbeon deo malsseumhaejuseyo)request to repeat
- 다시 한번 더 말씀해주시겠어요? (dasi hanbeon deo malsseumhaejusigesseoyo?)request to repeat
- 사과 (sagwa)act of saying sorry
Latin lamento, mihi īgnōsce
- lamentorepentant, apologetic
- mihi īgnōsceexpression of regret or sorrow
- excūsāexpression of regret or sorrow
- excūsāteexpression of regret or sorrow
- mihi īgnōsciteexpression of regret or sorrow
- doleōexpression of regret or sorrow
- mē paenitetexpression of regret or sorrow
- meā culpāexpression of regret or sorrow
- paeniteōexpression of regret or sorrow
- repeterequest to repeat
Latvian piedodiet
- piedodietexpression of regret or sorrow
Lithuanian atsiprašau, atleiskite
- atsiprašauexpression of regret or sorrow
- atleiskiteexpression of regret or sorrow
- dovanokiteexpression of regret or sorrow
Malay maaf, minta maaf, maaf
- maafexpression of regret or sorrow
- minta maaf, maafrequest to repeat
Norwegian sørgelig
- sørgeligpoor, regrettable
Norwegian Bokmål unnskyld, beklager
- unnskyldexpression of regret or sorrow
- beklagerexpression of regret or sorrow
- unnskyldrequest to repeat
Persian پوزش
- پوزش (puzeš)act of saying sorry
Polish przykry, żałosny
- przykrypoor, regrettable
- żałosnypoor, regrettable
- przepraszamexpression of regret or sorrow
- przykro miexpression of regret or sorrow
- sorryexpression of regret or sorrow
- wybaczexpression of regret or sorrow
- przebaczexpression of regret or sorrow
- pardonexpression of regret or sorrow
- darujexpression of regret or sorrow
- przepraszam?request to repeat
- słucham?request to repeat
- przeprosićact of saying sorry
- przepraszaćact of saying sorry
Portuguese sentir, pesaroso
- sentirrepentant, apologetic
- pesarosorepentant, apologetic
- lamentarrepentant, apologetic
- lamentargrieved, saddened
- a lamentargrieved, saddened
- lastimávelpoor, regrettable
- desculpaexpression of regret or sorrow
- perdãoexpression of regret or sorrow
- foi malexpression of regret or sorrow
- quê?request to repeat
- como?request to repeat
- hein?request to repeat
- perdão?request to repeat
Romanian îmi pare rău, scuză
- îmi pare răuexpression of regret or sorrow
- scuzăexpression of regret or sorrow
- scuză-măexpression of regret or sorrow
- scuzațiexpression of regret or sorrow
- scuzați-măexpression of regret or sorrow
Russian жа́лкий, плаче́вный
- жа́лкий (žálkij)poor, regrettable
- плаче́вный (plačévnyj)poor, regrettable
- извини́те (izviníte/izviní)expression of regret or sorrow
- извини́ (izviníte/izviní)expression of regret or sorrow
- прости́те (prostíte/prostí)expression of regret or sorrow
- прости́ (prostíte/prostí)expression of regret or sorrow
- прошу́ проще́ния (prošú proščénija)expression of regret or sorrow
- извиня́юсь (izvinjájusʹ)expression of regret or sorrow
- пардо́н (pardón)expression of regret or sorrow
- со́рри (sórri)expression of regret or sorrow
- прошу́ проще́ния (prošú proščénija)request to repeat
- что вы сказа́ли? (što vy skazáli)request to repeat
- что? (što?)request to repeat
Scottish Gaelic truagh, tha mi duilich
- truaghpoor, regrettable
- tha mi duilichexpression of regret or sorrow
- b' àill leat?request to repeat
- b' àill leibh?request to repeat
Slovak prepáčte, prepáč
- prepáčteexpression of regret or sorrow
- prepáčexpression of regret or sorrow
- bohužiaľexpression of regret or sorrow
Spanish lamentar, sentir
- lamentarrepentant, apologetic
- sentirrepentant, apologetic
- pesarosorepentant, apologetic
- apenadogrieved, saddened
- pobrepoor, regrettable
- disculpe/perdone (usted)expression of regret or sorrow
- lo sientoexpression of regret or sorrow
- perdónexpression of regret or sorrow
- perdónrequest to pass
- disculpe/perdone (usted)request to pass
- perdónto correct oneself in speech
- disculpe/perdone (usted)to correct oneself in speech
Swedish sorglig, ledsam
- sorgligpoor, regrettable
- ledsampoor, regrettable
- förlåtexpression of regret or sorrow
- ursäktarequest to repeat
- förlåtrequest to repeat
- förlåtact of saying sorry
- ursäktact of saying sorry
Tagalog paumanhin, patawad
- paumanhinexpression of regret or sorrow
- patawadexpression of regret or sorrow
Thai ขอโทษ
- ขอโทษ (kɔ̌ɔ-tôot)expression of regret or sorrow
Turkish üzgün, pardon
- üzgüngrieved, saddened
- pardonexpression of regret or sorrow
- özür dilerimexpression of regret or sorrow
- afedersinexpression of regret or sorrow
- affedersinexpression of regret or sorrow
- afedersinizexpression of regret or sorrow
- affedersiniz üzgünümexpression of regret or sorrow
- pardon?request to repeat
- efendimrequest to repeat
Ukrainian засму́чений, проба́чте
- засму́чений (zasmúčenyj)grieved, saddened
- проба́чте (probáčte)expression of regret or sorrow
- проба́ч (probáč)expression of regret or sorrow
- перепро́шую (perepróšuju)expression of regret or sorrow
- ви́бачте (výbačte)expression of regret or sorrow
- ви́бач (výbač)expression of regret or sorrow
- дару́йте (darújte)expression of regret or sorrow
- дару́й (darúj)expression of regret or sorrow
- про́шу? (próšu?)request to repeat
- що? (ščo?)request to repeat
- що-що? (ščo-ščo?)request to repeat
Urdu مَعْذِرَت, جِی؟
- مَعْذِرَت (ma'azirat)expression of regret or sorrow
- جِی؟ (jī?)request to repeat
- کْیا؟ (kyā?)request to repeat
Vietnamese xin lỗi
- xin lỗiexpression of regret or sorrow
Welsh blin, mae'n ddrwg gen i
- blinrepentant, apologetic
- mae'n ddrwg gen iexpression of regret or sorrow
- soriexpression of regret or sorrow
Yiddish זײַ מיר מוחל, עס טוט מיר לײַד
- זײַ מיר מוחל (zay mir moykhl)expression of regret or sorrow
- עס טוט מיר לײַד (es tut mir layd)expression of regret or sorrow
Zulu ngiyaxolisa
- ngiyaxolisaexpression of regret or sorrow
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with sorry
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Cite this entry
sorry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sorry
“sorry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sorry. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sorry,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sorry.
Source: sorry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.