Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Sorry

Sor′ry

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Sorrier
;
sup
erl.
Sorriest
.]
[OE.
sory
,
sary
, AS.
sārig
, fr.
sār
,
Noun.
,
sore
.
See
Sore
,
Noun.
&
Adj.
The original sense was, painful; hence, miserable, sad.]
1.
Grieved for the loss of some good; pained for some evil; feeling regret; – now generally used to express light grief or affliction, but formerly often used to express deeper feeling.
“I am sorry for my sins.”
Piers Plowman.
Ye were made
sorry
after a godly manner.
2 Cor. vii. 9.
I am
sorry
for thee, friend; ’t is the duke's pleasure.
Shakespeare
She entered, were he lief or
sorry
.
Spenser.
2.
Melancholy; dismal; gloomy; mournful.
Spenser.
All full of chirking was this
sorry
place.
Chaucer.
3.
Poor; mean; worthless;
as, a
sorry
excuse
.
“With sorry grace.”
Chaucer.
Cheeks of
sorry
grain will serve.
Milton.
Good fruit will sometimes grow on a
sorry
tree.
Sir W. Scott.
Syn. – Hurt; afflicted; mortified; vexed; chagrined; melancholy; dismal; poor; mean; pitiful.

Webster 1828 Edition


Sorry

SOR'RY

, a.
1.
Grieved for the loss of some good; pained for some evil that has happened to one's self or friends or country. It does not ordinarily imply severe grief, but rather slight or transient regret. It may be however, and often is used to express deep grief. We are sorry to lose the company of those we love; we are sorry to lose friends or property; we are sorry for the misfortunes of our friends or of out country. And the king was sorry. Matt 14.
2.
Melancholy; dismal.
3.
Poor; mean; vile; worthless; as a sorry slave; a sorry excuse. Coarse complexions, and cheeks of sorry grain-

Definition 2024


sorry

sorry

English

Adjective

sorry (comparative sorrier, superlative sorriest)

  1. (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.
    I am sorry to hear of your uncle's death.
  2. Poor, sad or regrettable.
    The storm left his garden in a sorry state.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Interjection

sorry

  1. Expresses regret, remorse, or sorrow.
    Sorry! I didn't see that you were on the phone.
  2. Used as a request for someone to repeat something not heard or understood clearly.
    Sorry? What was that? The phone cut out.
  3. Used to correct oneself in speech.
    There are four sorry, five branches of the store locally.

Synonyms

Translations

Noun

sorry (plural sorries or sorrys)

  1. The act of saying sorry; an apology.
    • 2007, Christopher Levan, Give Us This Day: Lenten Reflections on Baking Bread and Discipleship (page 107)
      The British would do it standing stock still, Latinos would dance their sorries, and Canadians would find a way to apologize on ice.
    • 2008, Lucy S. Danziger, Self Magazine's 15 Minutes to Your Best Self
      So learn how to tailor your sorries to the sexes. Women tend to want an acknowledgment of what they're going through...

Translations

Related terms

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: example · class · century · #985: sorry · share · working · breath

Czech

Etymology

English

Interjection

sorry

  1. (informal) sorry (I apologize)

Synonyms


Dutch

Pronunciation

Etymology

From English sorry.

Interjection

sorry

  1. sorry (expressing regret)
    Je hebt me heel erg pijn gedaan toen je dat zei. Sorry, dat is nooit mijn bedoeling geweest.
    You really hurt me a lot when you said that. Sorry, that was never my intention.
  2. sorry, pardon, excuse me
    Je stond op mijn voet! Oh, sorry!
    You were standing on my foot! Oh, sorry!

Synonyms