sorry
English · Deutsch · 中文 · Thesaurus
AI In plain words
Writing a short explanation…
Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
sorry
- /ˈsɒɹi/ UK
- /ˈsɑɹi/ Canada, US
- /ˈsoɹi/
- [ˈsɔɹɪ]
- [ˈsoːɹɪ]
- /ˈsɔɹi/ Australia
- /ˈsɒɹi/ New Zealand
- [ˈsɔ̟ɹi] New Zealand
- /ˈsɔɾe/ Scotland
- /ˈsɒɾi/ Wales
Sounds like sari · Rhymes with -ɒɹi
Where it comes from
From Middle English sory, from Old English sāriġ (“feeling or expressing grief, sorry, grieved, sorrowful, sad, mournful, bitter”), from Proto-West Germanic *sairag, from Proto-Germanic *sairagaz (“sad”), from Proto-Indo-European *seh₂yro (“hard, rough, painful”). Cognate with Scots sairie (“sad, grieved”), Saterland Frisian seerich (“sore, inflamed”), West Frisian searich (“sad, sorry”), Low German serig (“sick, scabby”), German dialectal sehrig (“sore, sad, painful”), Swedish sårig. By surface analysis, sor(e) + -y. Unrelated to sorrow despite the similarity in form and meaning.
adjective sorrier · sorriest
-
Of a person, regretful or apologetic for one's actions.
I am sorry I stepped on your toes. It was an accident.
Similar: apologetic, compunctious, contrite, penitent, regretful, remorseful, repentant, repining, sorry, rueful, guilt-ridden
-
Of a person, grieved or saddened, especially by the loss of something or someone.
I feel sorry for you, about your exam results.
Similar: heavy-hearted, melancholy, mournful, atrabiliary, atrabilious, blitheless, dispirited, blue, bummed out, chapfallen, cheerless, chopfallen
-
Poor, pitifully sad or regrettable.
The storm left his garden in a sorry state.
Similar: pathetic, pitiable, compassionate, pathetisad, piteous, pitiful, pitisome, sad, poor, rueful, ruthful, snivelly
-
Pathetic; contemptibly inadequate.
Bob is a sorry excuse for a football player.
Similar: deficient, insufficient, awanting, dismal, exiguous, geason, inadequate, lank, lean, lousy, meager, measly
interjection
-
Expresses regret, remorse, or sorrow.
Sorry! I didn't see that you were on the phone.
Similar: soz
-
Said as a request to excuse one's unintentional behaviors.
Oops! Sorry!
Similar: excuse me
-
Said as a request to pass somebody.
Sorry! Coming through!
Similar: excuse me
-
Used as a request for someone to repeat something not heard or understood clearly.
Sorry? What was that? The phone cut out.
Similar: I beg your pardon?, I'm sorry?, say again, come again, excuse me?
- Used to correct oneself in speech. There are four—sorry, five—local branches of the store.
- Used as a hedge. Sorry, but I don't care what you think.
noun sorries · sorrys
- The act of saying sorry; an apology. The British would do it standing stock still, Latinos would dance their sorries, and Canadians would find a way to apologize on ice.
verb sorries · sorrying · sorried
- To feel sorry (for someone). Jus' that once I sorried for her. Souls cross the skies o' time, Abbess'd say, like clouds crossin' skies o' the world.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: penitent, contrite, repentant, remorseful, regretful, compassionate, rueful, no-account, no-count, bad, pitying, worthless, good-for-nothing, no-good, deplorable, pitiful
Translations
Every language
adj repentant, apologetic
| Español | lamentar, sentir, pesaroso |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 죄송하다 joesong-hada, 미안하다 mian-hada |
| 日本語 | すまない sumanai, 申し訳ない mōshiwakenai |
| Português | sentir, pesaroso, lamentar |
| Français | désolé, regrettant |
| Italiano | stare dispiaciuto |
| العربية | آسِف ʔāsif |
adj grieved, saddened
| Español | apenado |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 안타깝다 antakkapda |
| 日本語 | 残念 zannen, 遺憾 ikan, 恐縮 kyōshuku |
| Português | lamentar, a lamentar |
| Français | navré, désolé |
| Italiano | dispiaciuto |
| العربية | حَزِين ḥazīn |
adj poor, regrettable
| Español | pobre |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 気の毒 ki no doku, かわいそう kawaisō, 残念 zannen, 遺憾 ikan |
| Português | lastimável |
| Français | piteux |
| Deutsch | beklagenswert, armselig, traurig |
| Ελληνικά | συγνώμη sygnómi |
| Русский | жа́лкий žálkij, плаче́вный plačévnyj |
| العربية | مُؤْسِف muʔsif, مُحْزِن muḥzin |
intj request to repeat
| 한국어 | 네? ne?, 예? ye?, 다시 한번 더 말씀해주세요 dasi hanbeon deo malsseumhaejuseyo, 다시 한번 더 말씀해주시겠어요? dasi hanbeon deo malsseumhaejusigesseoyo?, 뭐라고? mworago?, 뭐? mwo? |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | もう一回 mō ikkai, もう一度 mō ichido, もう一度いってください mō ichido itte kudasai, 何？ nani?, え？ e? |
| 中文 | 請再説一遍 /请再说一遍 qǐng zài shuō yíbiàn, 再説一遍 /再说一遍 zài shuō yíbiàn, 什麼？ /什么？ shénme, 哦？ é? |
| Português | quê?, como?, hein?, perdão? |
| Français | excusez-moi, excuse-moi, pardon?, comment?, quoi, hein? |
| Deutsch | wie bitte?, bitte?, wie? |
| Italiano | cosa?, come?, scusa?, eh?, scusi?, mi scusi? |
| Русский | прошу́ проще́ния prošú proščénija, что вы сказа́ли? što vy skazáli, что? što? |
| العربية | عَفْوًا! ʕafwan!, مَاذَا قُلْتَ؟ māḏā qulta?, مَاذَا قُلْتِ؟ māḏā qulti?, عُذْراً! ʕuḏran! |
intj expression of regret or sorrow
| Español | disculpe/perdone (usted), lo siento, perdón |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 죄송합니다 joesonghamnida, 미안합니다 mianhamnida, 실례합니다 sillyehamnida, 미안 mian, 미안해요 mianhaeyo, 죄송해요 joesonghaeyo |
| 日本語 | すみません sumimasen, すまない sumanai, ごめんなさい gomennasai, ごめん 失礼しました gomen, 申し訳ありません mōshiwake arimasen |
| 中文 | 對不起 /对不起 duìbùqǐ, 抱歉 bàoqiàn, 不好意思 bù hǎoyìsi, 對不住 /对不住 duìbùzhù |
| हिन्दी | माफ़ कीजिए māf kījie, सॉरी sŏrī |
| Português | desculpa, perdão, foi mal |
| Français | désolé, navré, excusez-moi, excuse-moi, pardon je m'excuse |
| Deutsch | Entschuldigung, sorry, entschuldigen Sie bitte, verzeihen Sie bitte, es tut mir leid, ich bitte um Entschuldigung |
| Italiano | scusi, scusa, mi scusi, spiacente, spiacenti |
| Ελληνικά | συγγνώμη syngnómi |
| Română | îmi pare rău, scuză, scuză-mă, scuzați, scuzați-mă |
| Русский | извини́те izviníte/izviní, извини́ izviníte/izviní, прости́те prostíte/prostí, прости́ prostíte/prostí, прошу́ проще́ния prošú proščénija, извиня́юсь izvinjájusʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | xin lỗi |
| العربية | آسِف ʔāsif, آسِفَة ʔāsifa, أَنَا آسِف ʔanā ʔāsif, أَنَا آسِفَة ʔanā ʔāsifa, اِعْذِرْنِي iʕḏirnī |
| עברית | מִצְטַעֵר mitsta'ér |
intj request to pass
| Español | perdón, disculpe/perdone (usted) |
|---|
Talk about this word "sorry." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/sorry. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. sorry. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/sorry "sorry." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/sorry.Cite this
@misc{sorry_2026,
title = {sorry},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/sorry},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
