sorry
- 01 A1 Beginner
adj.feeling regret or guilt because you did something wrong.
adj.feeling regret, compunction, or remorse for one's own actions.
Simple“I am very sorry for breaking your favorite coffee mug.”
In context“The manager was genuinely sorry for the administrative error and offered a full refund to the affected customers.”
PitfallI am sorry of the mistake. I am sorry for the mistake.Use 'sorry for' or 'sorry about' when mentioning the reason for the apology.
SynonymsapologeticremorsefulAntonymsunrepentantproud - 02 A1 Beginner
adj.feeling sad or bad for someone else because of their problems or bad news.
adj.feeling or expressing sympathy, pity, or regret for the misfortunes of others.
Simple“I was so sorry to hear about your grandfather passing away.”
In context“We were deeply sorry to learn of the project's cancellation after all the hard work you invested.”
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.in a very bad or weak condition that makes you feel pity or look down on it.
adj.wretched, poor, or pitiful in quality or state; often used to describe an inadequate attempt or condition.
Simple“The old abandoned house was in a sorry state with broken windows.”
In context“The team made a sorry attempt at a comeback, failing to score even a single point in the final half.”
Antonyms - 04 A2 Elementary
interj.what you say when you want someone to repeat something you did not hear.
interj.used to request that a speaker repeat a statement that was not heard or understood.
Simple“Sorry? Could you say that again? The music is too loud.”
In context“Sorry? I missed the last part of the instructions because of the static on the line.”
UsageUsually spoken with a rising intonation like a question.
Teacher's tipIn American English, 'Pardon?' or 'Excuse me?' is more common for this purpose, though 'Sorry?' is understood.
- 05 B1 Intermediate
n.the act of saying the word 'sorry'.
n.the verbal expression of an apology.
Simple“A simple sorry is all I need to hear from you.”
In context“He thought a quick sorry would fix the problem, but the damage to their relationship was already ran too deep.”
Synonyms
Usage sorry state
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.