Definition of sorrynext
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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 Public bellyaching sessions — sorry, hearings — have already begun, and the next ones will be held on May 2, 4, and 28. Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 30 Apr. 2026 The company website doesn’t give a price to rent or buy one – sorry, Homer. New Atlas, 27 Apr. 2026 Just what exactly are the toilet – sorry, lavatory – arrangements for VIP guests at the state banquet when it is held in a tent? Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 24 Apr. 2026 The four-speed, oscillating fan isn’t particularly fancy (sorry, no Matter support), but with summer right around the corner, the staff favorite is a practical pickup that can blow air up to 34 feet away. Brandon Widder, The Verge, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sorry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sorry
Adjective
  • And getting all giddy over some lame light beer that has apple juice poured into to is just plain embarrassing.
    Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 24 Apr. 2026
  • This idea that just sitting with your face buried in your phone when you’re supposed to be in a social setting—that’s lame, right?
    Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • As major college athletics continues to shift into for-profit, these types of sad measures are expected to continue, and private equity will continue to creep in.
    Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 May 2026
  • And such a sad story for Positano, and this whole region.
    Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 7 May 2026
Adjective
  • But as Notes from Underground progresses, his behavior turns from funny to pathetic to downright despicable.
    Big Think, Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Over pinwheeling synths, Mahesh inhabits her narrator’s misplaced longing with gooey, heart-eyed delusion and sweetly pathetic determination.
    Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Mayor Gloria and the City Council should be ashamed of themselves.
    U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026
  • May the world know that Americans are ashamed and suffering and locked into despair and destruction, which now affects the world.
    Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • There were also rumblings that Banchero was unhappy with Mosley, which began as early as November and continued throughout the season.
    Jason Beede, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 May 2026
  • People are unhappy on a grand scale.
    Scott Tobias, Vulture, 3 May 2026
Adjective
  • Gloria, her son, and Rickman moved to an apartment in the town of Tumwater in September 2021, and her heartbroken parents chose to sell their hotel.
    Paul LaRosa, CBS News, 3 May 2026
  • The 17-year-old boy knifed to death during a clash with a stranger on a Bronx street was preparing to graduate and looking forward to his prom, his heartbroken mother said Thursday.
    Emma Seiwell, New York Daily News, 30 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Injuries to key players on the Amazin’s contributed to some poor numbers as well.
    Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Although poor students are disproportionately likely to receive special education in New York City, well-off disabled kids are the ones most acutely driving up the budget.
    Marc Novicoff, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Written as a response to the utopian fiction that consumed Russia’s intelligentsia at the time, Notes from Underground is a mirror that reflects the ugliest, most pitiful aspects of humanity back at us.
    Big Think, Big Think, 29 Apr. 2026
  • These two beacons of truth and connoisseurs of mess have been bonded for over a decade, sharing the traumas of a crappy Boston dorm room and a pitiful Brooklyn dating scene.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 21 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Sorry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sorry. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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