sorrow en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˈsɔɾou/ (Wales) without the toe–tow merger
- /ˈsɑɹoʊ/ (General-American)
- /ˈsɔɹoʊ/ (Canada)
- /ˈsɒɹəʊ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- sŏrʼō (Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
- /ˈsɔɾo/ (Scotland)
Etymology
From Middle English sorwe, sorow, sorewe, from Old English sorg, sorh (“care, anxiety, sorrow, grief”), from Proto-West Germanic *sorgu, from Proto-Germanic *surgō (compare West Frisian soarch, Dutch zorg, German Sorge, Danish, Swedish and Norwegian sorg), from Proto-Indo-European *swergʰ- (“watch over, worry; be ill, suffer”) (compare Old Irish serg (“sickness”), Tocharian B sark (“sickness”), Lithuanian sirgti (“be sick”), Sanskrit सूर्क्षति (sū́rkṣati, “worry”). Despite the similarity in form and meaning, not historically related to sorry and sore.
Meanings
-
(uncountable) unhappiness, woe
Beijing’s bureaucrats may claim they are preventing fires, but what they are really igniting is resentment, sorrow, and resistance. The flames they lit were consuming trust, dignity, and the fragile hope that religious freedom might one day be respected in Tibet.
2025 December 16, Lopsang Gurung (pseudonym), “Golog Prefecture, Qinghai Province: Beijing’s Bonfire of Tibetan Prayer Flags”, in Bitter Winter:The safe and general antidote against sorrow is employment.
August 28, 1750, Samuel Johnson, The Rambler No. 47But sorrow that is couch'd in seeming gladness Is like that mirth fate turns to sudden sadness.
c. 1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
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(countable) (usually in plural) An instance or cause of unhappiness.
She had nursed all the children, including Sandro, to whom she was devoted, and my husband was just as fond of her. His going away to America was a great sorrow to her, and she always kept the sacred light burning on a little altar for Sandro all the time of his long absence.
1903, Maud Salvini, “Salvini as I Know Him”, in The Theatre, number 3, page 312:Vaublanc, in San Domingo so sympathetic to the sorrows of labour in France, had to fly from Paris in August, 1792, to escape the wrath of the French workers.
1963, C.L.R. James, The Black Jacobins, 2nd Revised edition, page 14:Parting is such sweet sorrow.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| sorrows | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| sorrowe | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Our Lady of Sorrows · sorrowy · sorrowfulness · China's Sorrow · tree of sorrow · a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved · drown one's sorrows · sorrow-ridden · sorrowsome · sorrowful · sorrowly · seeksorrow · shared sorrow is half sorrow · sorrowless · sorrowfully
Synonyms
drearihead · heartsore · hardship · woe · misery · undelight · catastrophe · dejection · mirthless · affliction · prosternation · woe · crestfallenness · infelicity · forlornness · undelight · misfortune · tristfulness · aggrievance · adversity · mourn · wretchedness · distress · melancholia · woefare · melancholy · misery · grief · downheartedness · woe · rue · grief · dejection · regret · sorrowfulness · grievance · woe · misery · calamity · ruth · tristesse · apocalypse · despondency · blues · sorrow · mishappiness · qualm · distress · sadness · blueness · dolefulness · sorrow · wrong · disaster · depression · vexation · ill-being · unhappiness · ruth · sadness
Translations (244)
sa दुःख (unhappiness) · ang sorg (instance or cause of unhappiness) · kmr keser (unhappiness) · hu szomorúság (unhappiness) · uz anduh (unhappiness) · km ទុក្ខ (unhappiness) · ms kesedihan (unhappiness) · mk тага (unhappiness) · ka სევდა (unhappiness) · ur سوگ (unhappiness) · sq brengosje (unhappiness) · ka მწუხარება (unhappiness) · bn গোসা (unhappiness) · ro nefericire (unhappiness) · gl pesadume (unhappiness) · om gadda (unhappiness) · tr üzüntü (unhappiness) · fa حزن (unhappiness) · az hüzn (unhappiness) · uk скорбо́та (unhappiness) · ur دکھ (unhappiness) · gv sou-aigney (unhappiness) · my ပရိဒေဝ (unhappiness) · de Trauer (unhappiness) · km ថ្នាំង (unhappiness) · it afflizione (unhappiness) · th ความเศร้า (unhappiness) · ru печа́ль (instance or cause of unhappiness) · ru тоска́ (unhappiness) · fa اندوه (unhappiness) · uk сму́ток (unhappiness) · bg скръб (unhappiness) · gv smeih (unhappiness) · tg ғусса (unhappiness) · gd mulad (unhappiness) · oc tristesa (unhappiness) · vi sự buồn (unhappiness) · da sorg (unhappiness) · ckb خەفەت (unhappiness) · ka ნაღველი (unhappiness) · de Kümmernis (unhappiness) · uk го́ре (unhappiness) · ca pena (unhappiness) · lv sēras (unhappiness) · got 𐌲𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌴𐌹 (unhappiness) · it infelicità (unhappiness) · non sorg (unhappiness) · sl žalost (unhappiness) · hi उदासी (unhappiness) · gv dobberan (unhappiness) · gl pena (unhappiness) · ur غم (unhappiness) · ur اداسی (unhappiness) · da smerte (unhappiness) · hy վիշտ (unhappiness) · ang caru (instance or cause of unhappiness) · et kurbus (unhappiness) · lv bēdas (unhappiness) · sk zármutok (unhappiness) · qu phuti (unhappiness) · io chagreno (unhappiness) · km សោក (unhappiness) · is sorg (unhappiness) · ga cumha (unhappiness) · txb mentsi (unhappiness) · te బాధ (unhappiness) · he צַעַר (unhappiness) · nl verdriet (unhappiness) · mi pāpōuri (unhappiness) · hu búbánat (unhappiness) · fa زاری (unhappiness) · mg alahelo (unhappiness) · fi suru (instance or cause of unhappiness) · ka ვარამი (unhappiness) · sh жа̏ло̄ст (unhappiness) · pa ਦੁਖ (unhappiness) · enm hevyte (unhappiness) · ru печа́ль (unhappiness) · es acíbar (unhappiness) · ko 시름 (unhappiness) · ko 슬픔 (unhappiness) · es pena (unhappiness) · la aegritudo (unhappiness) · be сум (unhappiness) · ug قايغۇ (unhappiness) · sh túga (unhappiness) · gl tristura (unhappiness) · ur افسوس (unhappiness) · ltg žālobys (unhappiness) · gd duilichinn (unhappiness) · sk smútok (unhappiness) · bg го́рест (unhappiness) · cmn 悲哀 (unhappiness) · cmn 悲傷 /悲伤 (unhappiness) · bn দুঃখ (unhappiness) · cmn 感傷 /感伤 (unhappiness) · cy tristwch (unhappiness) · kk зар (unhappiness) · sq zor (unhappiness) · az kədər (unhappiness) · fi murhe (instance or cause of unhappiness) · kmr xem (unhappiness) · ca dolor (unhappiness) · br kastiz (unhappiness) · th ความทุกข์ (unhappiness) · cy gofid (unhappiness) · gd doilgheas (unhappiness) · lt liūdesys (unhappiness) · ru грусть (unhappiness) · ar حُزْن (unhappiness) · kmr kovan (unhappiness) · gd bròn (unhappiness) · be го́ра (unhappiness) · tg андӯҳ (unhappiness) · fr chagrin (unhappiness) · my အဆွေး (unhappiness) · ltg skume (unhappiness) · ca tristor (instance or cause of unhappiness) · sh ту́га (unhappiness) · te దిగులు (unhappiness) · oc pena (unhappiness) · ga dólás (unhappiness) · ang caru (unhappiness) · nl droefheid (unhappiness) · pl smutek (unhappiness) · de Gram (unhappiness) · vi nỗi buồn (unhappiness) · ki kĩeha (unhappiness) · tk gynanç (unhappiness) · nn sorg (unhappiness) · oc dolor (unhappiness) · fi huoli (instance or cause of unhappiness) · my အပူ (unhappiness) · th ทุกข์ (unhappiness) · sq brengë (unhappiness) · cy trymfryd (unhappiness) · sv sorg (unhappiness) · ta துயரம் (unhappiness) · hu bánat (unhappiness) · be туга́ (unhappiness) · tg ҳузн (unhappiness) · gv trimshey (unhappiness) · alt кайгы (unhappiness) · hy տխրություն (unhappiness) · fr peine (unhappiness) · ase A@Chest-PalmBack CirclesVert (unhappiness) · hu bú (unhappiness) · kmr keder (unhappiness) · ja 悲哀 (unhappiness) · it pena (unhappiness) · tt кайгы (unhappiness) · de Sorge (unhappiness) · ta சோகம் (unhappiness) · ca pena (instance or cause of unhappiness) · es pesadumbre (unhappiness) · id kesedihan (unhappiness) · nl smart (unhappiness) · ru грусть (instance or cause of unhappiness) · tg ғам (unhappiness) · grc λύπη (unhappiness) · la luctus (unhappiness) · lo ຄວາມໂສກເສົ້າ (unhappiness) · ga brón (unhappiness) · got 𐌲𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌹𐌸𐌰 (unhappiness) · cy galar (unhappiness) · az qüssə (unhappiness) · gv seaghyn (unhappiness) · be сму́так (unhappiness) · ro supărare (unhappiness) · ja 悲しみ (unhappiness) · ang sorg (unhappiness) · el θλίψη (unhappiness) · ga ong (unhappiness) · pa ਦੁੱਖ (unhappiness) · bg жа́лост (unhappiness) · fa غم (unhappiness) · bn নারাজী (unhappiness) · gv bran (unhappiness) · ca dolor (instance or cause of unhappiness) · qu llaki (unhappiness) · ga tuirse (unhappiness) · bg печа́л (unhappiness) · gd tùirse (unhappiness) · es sinsabor (unhappiness) · ro tristețe (unhappiness) · hi शोक (unhappiness) · ru го́ре (unhappiness) · tk gussa (unhappiness) · de Leiden (unhappiness) · da græmmelse (unhappiness) · fi suru (unhappiness) · ro mâhnire (unhappiness) · mn гашуудал (unhappiness) · uk печа́ль (unhappiness) · hi ग़म (unhappiness) · hi अफ़सोस (unhappiness) · az ələm (unhappiness) · sq keqardhje (unhappiness) · gd èislean (unhappiness) · nb sorg (unhappiness) · cs smutek (unhappiness) · pt tristeza (unhappiness) · ko 비애 (unhappiness) · tr keder (unhappiness) · fi murhe (unhappiness) · az qəm (unhappiness) · be печа́ль (unhappiness) · az dərd (unhappiness) · enm sorwe (instance or cause of unhappiness) · it dolore (unhappiness) · eo malĝojo (unhappiness) · ta துக்கம் (unhappiness) · fi huoli (unhappiness) · uz gʻam (unhappiness) · ckb داخ (unhappiness) · ru скорбь (unhappiness) · ca tristesa (unhappiness) · de Traurigkeit (unhappiness) · sa अप्रसन्नता (unhappiness) · it tristezza (unhappiness) · es quebranto (unhappiness) · ru го́ре (instance or cause of unhappiness) · ka წუხილი (unhappiness) · ga dólás (instance or cause of unhappiness) · izh murhe (unhappiness) · es pesar (unhappiness) · pnb دکھ (unhappiness) · el λύπη (unhappiness) · de Kummer (unhappiness) · ro întristare (unhappiness) · mn уй гашуу (unhappiness) · az qəm-qüssə (unhappiness) · enm sorwe (unhappiness) · ka დარდი (unhappiness) · ky кайгы (unhappiness) · uz qaygʻu (unhappiness) · pt pesar (unhappiness) · ru уны́ние (unhappiness) · bn দেরেগ (unhappiness) · kk қайғы (unhappiness) · pt mágoa (unhappiness) · hi दुःख (unhappiness) · sh žȁlōst (unhappiness) · ro durere (unhappiness)