Sorry
Pronunciation
- Canada IPA: /ˈsɔɹi/
- UK IPA: /ˈsɒɹi/
- US IPA: /ˈsɑɹi/, /ˈsɒɹi/
- Homophones: sari
- Rhymes: -É’ri
Origin
From Middle English sory, from Old English sÄriÄ¡ ("feeling or expressing grief, sorry, grieved, sorrowful, sad, mournful, bitter"), from Proto-Germanic *sairagaz ("sad"), from Proto-Indo-European *sayÇw- ("hard, rough, painful"). Cognate with Low German serig ("sick, scabby"), German dialectal sehrig ("sore, sad, painful"). More at sore.
Full definition of sorry
Adjective
sorry
- (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.
- Poor, sad or regrettable.The storm left his garden in a sorry state.
Synonyms
- (regretful for an action or grieved) apologetic, attritional, compunctious, contrite, heavyhearted, melancholy, mournful, penitent, penitential, regretful, remorseful, repentant, sad, unhappy
Derived terms
Interjection
- Expresses regret, remorse, or sorrow.Sorry! I didn't see that you were on the phone.
- Used as a request for someone to repeat something not heard or understood clearly.Sorry? What was that? The phone cut out.
Synonyms
- (request to repeat) I beg your pardon?, I'm sorry?, come again?, excuse me? (US)
Noun
sorry
(plural sorries)- 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 SelfSo learn how to tailor your sorries to the sexes. Women tend to want an acknowledgment of what they're going through...