sorry
Etymology

From Middle English sory, from Old English sāriġ, from Proto-West Germanic *sairag, from Proto-Germanic *sairagaz, from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂yro.

Pronunciation
  • (RP) IPA: /ˈsɒ.ɹi/
  • (America) IPA: /ˈsɑɹ.i/
  • (America, Canada) IPA: /ˈsɔɹ.i/
Adjective

sorry (comparative sorrier, superlative sorriest)

  1. (of a person) Regretful or apologetic for one's actions.
    Synonyms: apologetic, compunctious, contrite, penitent, regretful, remorseful, repentant
    I am sorry I stepped on your toes. It was an accident.
  2. (of a person) Grieved or saddened, especially by the loss of something or someone.
    Synonyms: heavy-hearted, melancholy, mournful
    I am sorry for your loss.
    The President was sorry to hear that the Ambassador was leaving.
  3. Poor, pitifully sad or regrettable.
    The storm left his garden in a sorry state.
  4. Pathetic; contemptibly inadequate.
    Bob is a sorry excuse for a football player.
Translations Translations Translations Interjection
  1. Expresses regret, remorse, or sorrow.
    Synonyms: soz
    Sorry! I didn't see that you were on the phone.
    Sorry about yesterday. — No worries.
  2. Used as a request for someone to repeat something not heard or understood clearly.
    Synonyms: I beg your pardon?, I'm sorry?, say again, come again, excuse me?, Thesaurus:say again
    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.
  4. Said as a request to pass somebody.
    Synonyms: excuse me
    Sorry! Coming through!
Translations Translations
  • French: excusez-moi, excuse-moi, pardon, comment, (plain) quoi, hein (colloquial)
  • German: wie bitte?, bitte?, wie? (plain)
  • Italian: cosa?, come?, scusa?, eh? (colloquial), scusi? (formal), mi scusi? (formal)
  • Portuguese: quê?, como?, hein?, perdão?
  • Russian: прошу прощения
  • Spanish: ¿cómo?, ¿perdón?, (Colombia) ¿ah?, (Cuba) ¿eh?, (Mexico) ¿mande?
Translations Noun

sorry

  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.
Translations Verb

sorry (sorries, present participle sorrying; simple past and past participle sorried)

  1. (intransitive, transitive, rare) To feel sorry (for someone).
Related terms


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