feel sorrow about

Meanings

1. 1phrasetransitiveformal

   to experience a deep feeling of sadness concerning someone or something

   Grammar: The phrase takes an object after 'about': feel sorrow about a loss. You can also say 'feel sorrow for someone' when you pity them.

   Patterns

   • feel sorrow about something
   • feel sorrow about someone
   • feel sorrow for someone

   Many people feel sorrow about the destruction of the old library.

   She still feels sorrow about the way the argument ended.

   We feel sorrow for the families who lost their homes in the flood.

2. 2phrasetransitiveformal

   to be sorry or regretful about something that happened

   Grammar: Used when the sadness is mixed with regret; the object after 'about' is the event you wish had been different.

   Patterns

   • feel sorrow about something
   • feel sorrow about doing something

   He feels sorrow about not visiting his grandfather more often.

   I feel sorrow about the harsh words I said that day.

Common combinations

feel deep sorrow about

The community feels deep sorrow about the accident.

feel great sorrow about

She feels great sorrow about leaving her home country.

feel sorrow and regret about

He feels sorrow and regret about the choices he made.

feel sorrow for someone

We feel sorrow for everyone affected by the fire.

Synonyms and how they differ

grieve

Grieve is stronger and often used for the death of someone close; feel sorrow about is broader and more formal.

mourn

Mourn usually means to show sadness after a death, often in public; feel sorrow about can be about any sad event.

regret

Regret focuses on wishing you had acted differently; feel sorrow about focuses on the sad feeling itself.

Opposites

Word family

sorrow noun

a feeling of deep sadness

sorrowful adjective

feeling or showing deep sadness

sorrowfully adverb

in a sad or sorrowful way

Commonly confused: feel sorrow about or feel sorry about?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “feel sorrow about”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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