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.
Meanings
(of a person) Regretful or apologetic for one's actions.
I am sorry I stepped on your toes. It was an accident.
(of a person) Grieved or saddened, especially by the loss of something or someone.
I feel sorry for you, about your exam results.
The President was sorry to hear that the Ambassador was leaving.
Poor, pitifully sad or regrettable.
That his rigid denial of the personhood of women should so completely and immediately win a contemporary Boston audience, is a sorry index. 1974 February 16, Jonathan Cross, “The Fag in the fifth row”, in Gay Community News, volume 1, number 34, page 5:
The storm left his garden in a sorry state.
... often the only movement on the landscape is winter smoke winding out the chimney of some sorry-looking farmhouse ... 1948, Truman Capote, Other Voices, Other Rooms, Part One, 1:
Pathetic; contemptibly inadequate.
Bob is a sorry excuse for a football player.
The sorry experience did little to suggest that Musk knows how to run a social media platform or that DeSantis is capable of governing a global superpower armed with nuclear weapons. 2023 May 25, David Smith, “Failure to launch: Twitter glitches deal double blow to Elon Musk and Ron DeSantis”, in The Guardian, →ISSN, archived from the original on 10 Aug 2023:
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.
Meanings
Expresses regret, remorse, or sorrow.
Sorry about yesterday. — No worries.
Sorry! I didn't see that you were on the phone.
Sorry I’m so late.
Said as a request to excuse one's unintentional behaviors.
Oops! Sorry!
Said as a request to pass somebody.
Sorry! Coming through!
Used as a request for someone to repeat something not heard or understood clearly.
Sorry? What was that? The phone cut out.
Used to correct oneself in speech.
There are four—sorry, five—local branches of the store.
da undskyld (request to repeat) · uk ви́бачте (expression of regret or sorrow) · id maaf (expression of regret or sorrow) · yi עס טוט מיר לײַד (expression of regret or sorrow) · tt гафу итегез (expression of regret or sorrow) · nb beklager (expression of regret or sorrow) · my ဝမ်းနည်းပါတယ်။ (expression of regret or sorrow) · el συγγνώμη (expression of regret or sorrow) · ia pardono (expression of regret or sorrow) · lo ຂໍອະໄພ (expression of regret or sorrow) · ka უკაცრავად (request to repeat) · sh извините (expression of regret or sorrow) · fi anteeksi (request to repeat) · ko 미안해요 (expression of regret or sorrow) · fr pardon je m'excuse (expression of regret or sorrow) · yue 唔好意思 (expression of regret or sorrow) · ar أَنَا آسِفَة (expression of regret or sorrow) · de sorry (expression of regret or sorrow) · yi זײַ מיר מוחל (expression of regret or sorrow) · mk извинете (expression of regret or sorrow) · ckb بەڵێ (request to repeat) · sk bohužiaľ (expression of regret or sorrow) · de ich bitte um Entschuldigung (expression of regret or sorrow) · eu barka (expression of regret or sorrow) · it scusa? (request to repeat) · se ándagassii (request to repeat) · ajp آسف (expression of regret or sorrow) · nl pardon? (request to repeat) · ru извини́ (expression of regret or sorrow) · ja すみません (expression of regret or sorrow) · af jammer (expression of regret or sorrow) · uk дару́й (expression of regret or sorrow) · la mihi īgnōsce (expression of regret or sorrow) · it cosa? (request to repeat) · sh izvinite (expression of regret or sorrow) · tg мебахшед (expression of regret or sorrow) · ko 죄송해요 (expression of regret or sorrow) · fi tarkoitan (to correct oneself in speech) · pt perdão? (request to repeat) · vi xin lỗi (expression of regret or sorrow) · ja もう一度いってください (request to repeat) · gd b' àill leibh? (request to repeat) · da undskyld (expression of regret or sorrow) · hak 斯里麻生 (expression of regret or sorrow) · io me regretas (expression of regret or sorrow) · it come? (request to repeat) · wa kimint diss? (request to repeat) · ckb ببوورە (expression of regret or sorrow) · hak 敗勢 /败势 (expression of regret or sorrow) · bo དགོངས་དག (expression of regret or sorrow) · tr affedersiniz üzgünüm (expression of regret or sorrow) · la repete (request to repeat) · uk проба́чте (expression of regret or sorrow) · ru прости́те (expression of regret or sorrow) · bn সরি (expression of regret or sorrow) · uk що-що? (request to repeat) · it spiacente (expression of regret or sorrow) · ka რა (request to repeat) · yue 對唔住 /对唔住 (expression of regret or sorrow) · uk про́шу? (request to repeat) · pl daruj (expression of regret or sorrow) · nan-hbl 對不起 /对不起 (expression of regret or sorrow) · ug كەچۈرۈڭ (expression of regret or sorrow) · uk що? (request to repeat) · nl excuseer (expression of regret or sorrow) · tr efendim (request to repeat) · ru прости́ (expression of regret or sorrow) · mt skużani (expression of regret or sorrow) · sh molim? (request to repeat) · es perdón (to correct oneself in speech) · la mē paenitet (expression of regret or sorrow) · nl het spijt me (expression of regret or sorrow) · ajp آسفة (expression of regret or sorrow) · ko 아니 (to correct oneself in speech) · az bağışlayın (expression of regret or sorrow) · ro scuză-mă (expression of regret or sorrow) · li spietelik (expression of regret or sorrow) · gd b' àill leat? (request to repeat) · la mihi īgnōscite (expression of regret or sorrow) · de verzeihen Sie bitte (expression of regret or sorrow) · sh извини (expression of regret or sorrow) · hu elnézést kérek (expression of regret or sorrow) · grt kema (expression of regret or sorrow) · tr pardon (expression of regret or sorrow) · mn юу гэнээ? (request to repeat) · sl oprosti (expression of regret or sorrow) · mk простете (expression of regret or sorrow) · mww thov txim (expression of regret or sorrow) · fi pahoittelen (expression of regret or sorrow) · ko 뭐라고? (request to repeat) · it scusa (expression of regret or sorrow) · nmn ǀùa ǁʻúm ǀnān (expression of regret or sorrow) · wuu 勿好意思 (expression of regret or sorrow) · hu elnézést (expression of regret or sorrow) · sq më falni (expression of regret or sorrow) · cmn 什麼？ /什么？ (request to repeat) · tr afedersin (expression of regret or sorrow) · hu elnézést, nem értem (request to repeat) · km សូមទោស (expression of regret or sorrow) · fr pardon? (request to repeat) · tr pardon? (request to repeat) · ru прошу́ проще́ния (expression of regret or sorrow) · ar آسِف (expression of regret or sorrow) · ko 넹? (request to repeat) · ur کْیا؟ (request to repeat) · pt foi mal (expression of regret or sorrow) · ko 아니요 (to correct oneself in speech) · it mi scusi (expression of regret or sorrow) · lo ຂໍໂທດ (expression of regret or sorrow) · ar آسِفَة (expression of regret or sorrow) · da beklager (expression of regret or sorrow) · pl przykro mi (expression of regret or sorrow) · eo pardonu (expression of regret or sorrow) · pt quê? (request to repeat) · cmn 對不住 /对不住 (expression of regret or sorrow) · lt atsiprašau (expression of regret or sorrow) · sv ursäkta (request to repeat) · ko 네? (request to repeat) · is fyrirgefðu mér (expression of regret or sorrow) · ko 어? (request to repeat) · sk prepáč (expression of regret or sorrow) · ro îmi pare rău (expression of regret or sorrow) · ky кечиресиз (expression of regret or sorrow) · tr özür dilerim (expression of regret or sorrow) · ru со́рри (expression of regret or sorrow) · am እናዝናለን (expression of regret or sorrow) · ka უკაცრავად (expression of regret or sorrow) · cs promiňte (expression of regret or sorrow) · fr excusez-moi (request to repeat) · ca perdó (request to repeat) · wuu 對勿起 /对勿起 (expression of regret or sorrow) · sh опростите (expression of regret or sorrow) · ru что вы сказа́ли? (request to repeat) · fi olen pahoillani (expression of regret or sorrow) · gu મને માફ કરો (expression of regret or sorrow) · li waat? (request to repeat) · hi सॉरी (expression of regret or sorrow) · pl przepraszam (expression of regret or sorrow) · cs pardon (expression of regret or sorrow) · it scusi (expression of regret or sorrow) · be выбача́йце (expression of regret or sorrow) · nl pardon (expression of regret or sorrow) · de wie bitte? (request to repeat) · nn orsak (expression of regret or sorrow) · bg извинявай (expression of regret or sorrow) · hy ներեցեք (expression of regret or sorrow) · es disculpe/perdone (usted) (expression of regret or sorrow) · bn মাফ করবেন (expression of regret or sorrow) · nan-hbl 失禮 /失礼 (expression of regret or sorrow) · fa-ira بِبَخْشید (expression of regret or sorrow) · nl wat zeg je (request to repeat) · sh izvini (expression of regret or sorrow) · ga gabh mo leithscéal (request to repeat) · zu ngiyaxolisa (expression of regret or sorrow) · wa kimint djhoz? (request to repeat) · bg пардо́н (expression of regret or sorrow) · de bitte? (request to repeat) · cmn 對不起 /对不起 (expression of regret or sorrow) · be выбача́й (expression of regret or sorrow) · cmn 請再説一遍 /请再说一遍 (request to repeat) · ko 뭐? (request to repeat) · la doleō (expression of regret or sorrow) · ase A@Chest-PalmBack CirclesVert (expression of regret or sorrow) · nds-de (dat) deit my leyd (expression of regret or sorrow) · af ekskuus (request to repeat) · ja もう一回 (request to repeat) · sh oprostite (expression of regret or sorrow) · ja 何？ (request to repeat) · tg бубахшед (expression of regret or sorrow) · fr comment? (request to repeat) · bg мо́ля? (request to repeat) · fa-ira مَعْذِرَت میخواهَم (request to repeat) · ja ごめんなさい (expression of regret or sorrow) · rsk модлїм (request to repeat) · rsk модлїме (request to repeat) · de Verzeihung (expression of regret or sorrow) · wa cwè? (request to repeat) · tr afedersiniz (expression of regret or sorrow) · af wat sê jy? (request to repeat) · ar أَنَا آسِف (expression of regret or sorrow) · ko 실례합니다 (expression of regret or sorrow) · ko 미안 (expression of regret or sorrow) · pl pardon (expression of regret or sorrow) · ar مَاذَا قُلْتِ؟ (request to repeat) · fa-ira بِبَخْشید (request to repeat) · cy mae'n ddrwg gen i (expression of regret or sorrow) · fi anteeksi (expression of regret or sorrow) · ary سمح لي (expression of regret or sorrow) · ro scuzați (expression of regret or sorrow) · is fyrirgefðu? (request to repeat) · gd tha mi duilich (expression of regret or sorrow) · eo mi bedaŭras (expression of regret or sorrow) · ko 예? (request to repeat) · mt skużi (expression of regret or sorrow) · sv förlåt (expression of regret or sorrow) · ems kingun'inartua (expression of regret or sorrow) · pt como? (request to repeat) · hak 失禮 /失礼 (expression of regret or sorrow) · ur مَعْذِرَت (expression of regret or sorrow) · es lo siento (expression of regret or sorrow) · uz kechirasiz (expression of regret or sorrow) · hy կներեք (expression of regret or sorrow) · de entschuldigen Sie bitte (expression of regret or sorrow) · ca perdó (expression of regret or sorrow) · th ขอโทษ (expression of regret or sorrow) · bg просте́те (expression of regret or sorrow) · pl słucham? (request to repeat) · nds-de dat spyt my (expression of regret or sorrow) · fa-ira مُتَأَسِّفَم (expression of regret or sorrow) · ru извини́те (expression of regret or sorrow) · ru пардо́н (expression of regret or sorrow) · hu bocsánat (expression of regret or sorrow) · ja 申し訳ありません (expression of regret or sorrow) · my ဆောရီးနော်။ (expression of regret or sorrow) · hak 對唔住 /对唔住 (expression of regret or sorrow) · es disculpe/perdone (usted) (to correct oneself in speech) · eo pardonu (request to repeat) · de es tut mir leid (expression of regret or sorrow) · ca disculpes (expression of regret or sorrow) · tr affedersin (expression of regret or sorrow) · mk извини (expression of regret or sorrow) · hy ներողություն (expression of regret or sorrow) · gu મને માફ કરજો (expression of regret or sorrow) · nn unnskyld (expression of regret or sorrow) · es perdón (expression of regret or sorrow) · toi cabija (expression of regret or sorrow) · lt dovanokite (expression of regret or sorrow) · it mi scusi? (request to repeat) · pl przebacz (expression of regret or sorrow) · is fyrirgefðu (expression of regret or sorrow) · hu tessék? (request to repeat) · ur جِی؟ (request to repeat) · la excūsā (expression of regret or sorrow) · nl wat zegt u (request to repeat) · am ይቅርታ (expression of regret or sorrow) · am አዝናለሁ (expression of regret or sorrow) · es perdón (request to pass) · it scusi? (request to repeat) · ja もう一度 (request to repeat) · uk дару́йте (expression of regret or sorrow) · lv piedodiet (expression of regret or sorrow) · ms maaf (expression of regret or sorrow) · bg съжалявам (expression of regret or sorrow) · kk кешіріңіз (expression of regret or sorrow) · ko 미안합니다 (expression of regret or sorrow) · bn দুঃখিত (expression of regret or sorrow) · ada kusie (expression of regret or sorrow) · nan-hbl 對不住 /对不住 (expression of regret or sorrow) · lt atleiskite (expression of regret or sorrow) · rsk пребачце (expression of regret or sorrow) · sq më fal (expression of regret or sorrow) · ko 다시 한번 더 말씀해주세요 (request to repeat) · ar عُذْراً! (request to repeat) · tk bagyşlaň (expression of regret or sorrow) · ko 다시 한번 더 말씀해주시겠어요? (request to repeat) · uk проба́ч (expression of regret or sorrow) · he מִצְטַעֵר (expression of regret or sorrow) · mk прости (expression of regret or sorrow) · fa-ira مَعْذِرَت میخواهَم (expression of regret or sorrow) · id maaf (request to repeat) · yue 對不起 /对不起 (expression of regret or sorrow) · uk перепро́шую (expression of regret or sorrow) · ru что? (request to repeat) · fr désolé (expression of regret or sorrow) · la paeniteō (expression of regret or sorrow) · eo mi pardonpetas (expression of regret or sorrow) · et sorry (expression of regret or sorrow) · rsk пребач (expression of regret or sorrow) · de wie? (request to repeat) · fr excusez-moi (expression of regret or sorrow) · fr hein? (request to repeat) · ar مَاذَا قُلْتَ؟ (request to repeat) · et andestust (expression of regret or sorrow) · sv förlåt (request to repeat) · ko 죄송합니다 (expression of regret or sorrow) · ary سمحي لي (expression of regret or sorrow) · ckb ببوورە (request to repeat) · kac tawng ban sai yaw (expression of regret or sorrow) · nb unnskyld (expression of regret or sorrow) · nan-hbl 毋好勢 /毋好势 (expression of regret or sorrow) · cs promiň (expression of regret or sorrow) · hy ներիր (expression of regret or sorrow) · af wat het jy gesê? (request to repeat) · mn уучлаарай (expression of regret or sorrow) · cmn 不好意思 (expression of regret or sorrow) · ru извиня́юсь (expression of regret or sorrow) · it spiacenti (expression of regret or sorrow) · fr quoi (request to repeat) · ms minta maaf, maaf (request to repeat) · fr excuse-moi (request to repeat) · krc кечериксиз (expression of regret or sorrow) · eu barkamen (expression of regret or sorrow) · pl wybacz (expression of regret or sorrow) · bg прости́ (expression of regret or sorrow) · fi sori (expression of regret or sorrow) · uk ви́бач (expression of regret or sorrow) · la meā culpā (expression of regret or sorrow) · is afsakið? (request to repeat) · nan-hbl 歹勢 /歹势 (expression of regret or sorrow) · fr excuse-moi (expression of regret or sorrow) · pt hein? (request to repeat) · ro scuză (expression of regret or sorrow) · cs prosím? (request to repeat) · cmn 再説一遍 /再说一遍 (request to repeat) · ga tá brón orm (expression of regret or sorrow) · fr pardon (to correct oneself in speech) · sl oprostite (expression of regret or sorrow) · pl przepraszam? (request to repeat) · tl patawad (expression of regret or sorrow) · hu bocs (expression of regret or sorrow) · et vabandust (expression of regret or sorrow) · ar اِعْذِرْنِي (expression of regret or sorrow) · ja ごめん 失礼しました (expression of regret or sorrow) · pl sorry (expression of regret or sorrow) · pt perdão (expression of regret or sorrow) · wa pardon? (request to repeat) · et andeks (expression of regret or sorrow) · ja すまない (expression of regret or sorrow) · es disculpe/perdone (usted) (request to pass) · fr désolé (to correct oneself in speech) · sk prepáčte (expression of regret or sorrow) · ru прошу́ проще́ния (request to repeat) · nb unnskyld (request to repeat) · de Entschuldigung (expression of regret or sorrow) · fr navré (expression of regret or sorrow) · la excūsāte (expression of regret or sorrow) · wa mande escuze (expression of regret or sorrow) · ar عَفْوًا! (request to repeat) · hy կներես (expression of regret or sorrow) · cmn 哦？ (request to repeat) · nds-de pardon (expression of regret or sorrow) · ary سمحوا لي (expression of regret or sorrow) · ja え？ (request to repeat) · fi siis (to correct oneself in speech) · cy sori (expression of regret or sorrow) · ro scuzați-mă (expression of regret or sorrow) · bg извине́те (expression of regret or sorrow) · pt desculpa (expression of regret or sorrow) · hi माफ़ कीजिए (expression of regret or sorrow) · is afsakið (expression of regret or sorrow) · tl paumanhin (expression of regret or sorrow) · nl sorry (expression of regret or sorrow) · se ándagassii (expression of regret or sorrow) · cmn 抱歉 (expression of regret or sorrow) · ryu 悪さいびーん (expression of regret or sorrow) · it eh? (request to repeat)
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.
Meanings
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. 2007, Christopher Levan, Give Us This Day: Lenten Reflections on Baking Bread and Discipleship, page 107:
So learn how to tailor your sorries to the sexes. Women tend to want an acknowledgment of what they're going through... 2008, Lucy S. Danziger, Self Magazine's 15 Minutes to Your Best Self:
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sorries
Number=Plur
lexicographic
sorrys
Number=Plur
lexicographic
Translations (11)
fi anteeksipyyntö (act of saying sorry) · sv förlåt (act of saying sorry) · af verskoning vra (act of saying sorry) · it scuse (act of saying sorry) · sv ursäkt (act of saying sorry) · ko 사과 (act of saying sorry) · el συγγνώμη (act of saying sorry) · pl przepraszać (act of saying sorry) · pl przeprosić (act of saying sorry) · fi pahoittelu (act of saying sorry) · fa پوزش (act of saying sorry)
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.
Meanings
(intransitive, rare, transitive) 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. 2004, David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas, Toronto, Ont.: Vintage Canada, →ISBN, page 302: