sorry
sorry Lexical Profile
sorry Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Feeling regret, remorse, or penitence for an action, mistake, or omission.
"She was genuinely sorry for forgetting to attend her colleague's presentation."
Feeling sympathy, pity, or compassion for someone else's misfortune or distress.
"We were all very sorry to hear about the sudden passing of your grandfather."
In a poor, wretched, or pitiful state; inspiring disdain or meriting little respect.
"After decades of neglect, the historic theater had fallen into a sorry state of disrepair."
• interjection
Used to apologize for a minor fault, interruption, or social inconvenience.
"Sorry, I didn't realize someone was already sitting in this seat."
Used to politely ask someone to repeat something that was not heard or understood clearly, or to correct oneself immediately in speech.
"Sorry, could you speak a little louder so the people in the back can hear?"
Word Nuance & Usage
When expressing regret or sympathy, 'sorry' is used exclusively as a predicate adjective (e.g., 'I am sorry'); when placed attributively before a noun (e.g., 'a sorry state'), it shifts in meaning to describe something wretched, pitiful, or inferior.
• Rhymes for sorry
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Old English 'sārig', meaning pained or distressed, from the noun 'sār' (pain or wound), making it historically related to 'sore' rather than 'sorrow', though the two have long been associated by folk etymology.