Sorry Definition

sŏrē, sôrē
sorrier, sorriest
adjective
sorrier, sorriest
Feeling or expressing sorrow.
We are sorry to hear that you are leaving so soon.
American Heritage
Full of sorrow, pity, or sympathy: also used as an expression of apology or mild regret.
Webster's New World
Wretched; miserable.
A sorry tenement.
Webster's New World
Feeling or expressing regret.
I'm sorry I'm late.
American Heritage
Inferior in worth or quality; poor.
A sorry exhibit.
Webster's New World
interjection

Expresses regret, remorse, or sorrow.

Sorry! I didn't see that you were on the phone.
Wiktionary
Used as a request for someone to repeat something not heard or understood clearly.
Sorry? What was that? The phone cut out.
Wiktionary
noun

The act of saying sorry; an apology.

Wiktionary

Other Word Forms of Sorry

Noun

Singular:
sorry
Plural:
sorries

Adjective

Base Form:
sorry
Comparative:
sorrier
Superlative:
sorriest

Origin of Sorry

  • From Middle English sory, from Old English sāriÄ¡ (“feeling or expressing grief, sorry, grieved, sorrowful, sad, mournful, bitter"), from Proto-Germanic *sairagaz (“sad"), from Proto-Indo-European *sayǝw- (“hard, rough, painful"). Cognate with Low German serig (“sick, scabby"), German dialectal sehrig (“sore, sad, painful"). More at sore.

    From Wiktionary

  • Middle English sori from Old English sārig sad from sār sore

    From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition

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