Sorrow

Pronunciation

• RP enPR: sŏr'ō, IPA: /ˈsɒɹəʊ/
• GenAm IPA: /ˈsɑɹoÊŠ/, especially Canadian IPA: /ˈsɔɹoÊŠ/
• Rhymes: -ɒɹəʊ

Origin

From Middle English sorow, sorwe, from Old English sorh, sorg, from Proto-Germanic *surgō (cf. West Frisian soarch, Dutch zorg, German Sorge, Danish sorg), from Proto-Indo-European *swergʰ- 'to watch over, worry' (cf. Old Irish serg 'sickness', Tocharian B sark 'id.', Lithuanian sirgti ‘to be sick’, Sanskrit sū́rkṣati ‘he worries’).

Full definition of sorrow

Noun

1. (uncountable) unhappiness, woe
• RamblerThe safe and general antidote against sorrow is employment.
2. (countable) usually in plural An instance or cause of unhappiness.Parting is such sweet sorrow.

Verb

1. (intransitive) To feel or express grief.
• 1749, Henry Fielding, Tom Jones, Folio Society 1973, p. 424:‘Sorrow not, sir,’ says he, ‘like those without hope.’
2. (transitive) To feel grief over; to mourn, regret.
• 1603, John Florio, translating Michel de Montaigne, Essays, II.12:It is impossible to make a man naturally blind, to conceive that he seeth not; impossible to make him desire to see, and sorrow his defect.