Meaning & use
sorry
Last updated
Meanings
adjectivenot comparable
Feeling sad or regretful about something you did or that happened.
Grammar: Often followed by 'about' or 'for' to say what you regret: sorry about the mess; sorry for being late.
Patterns
- sorry about something
- sorry for doing something
- sorry that ...
- sorry to do something
I'm sorry about the noise last night.
She was sorry for breaking the vase.
We're sorry that you can't come.
adjectivenot comparable
Feeling sympathy for someone who is in a bad situation.
Grammar: Often followed by 'for' or 'about' and sometimes 'to hear/see': sorry for your loss; sorry to hear that.
Patterns
- sorry for someone
- sorry about something
- sorry to hear something
I'm sorry for your loss.
We were sorry to hear about your accident.
He felt sorry for the stray dog.
adjectivenot comparable
Used to politely ask someone to repeat what they said.
Grammar: Used alone or with 'I'm': Sorry? I'm sorry, could you repeat that?
Patterns
- Sorry?
- I'm sorry?
Sorry? I didn't catch that.
I'm sorry, what did you say?
adjectivebefore a nouninformal
Used before a noun to describe something very bad or poor of its kind.
Grammar: Always used before the noun, often in phrases like 'a sorry excuse' or 'a sorry state'.
Patterns
- a sorry excuse
- a sorry state
- a sorry sight
That's a sorry excuse for a meal.
The team was in a sorry state after the loss.
He made a sorry attempt at fixing the sink.
interjection
Used to apologize for something you did or to get someone's attention politely.
Grammar: Used alone as a short phrase, often to apologize for a small mistake or to interrupt.
Patterns
- Sorry!
- Sorry to bother you.
Sorry! I didn't mean to step on your foot.
Sorry to bother you, but could you help me?
Word forms
| comparative | sorrier |
|---|---|
| superlative | sorriest |
Common combinations
- say sorry
- He finally said sorry for his behavior.
- feel sorry for
- I feel sorry for anyone who has to work on Christmas.
- sorry to hear
- I'm sorry to hear that you're not feeling well.
- sorry about that
- Sorry about that—I'll fix it right away.
- a sorry sight
- After the storm, the garden was a sorry sight.
Synonyms and how they differ
- apologetic
- More formal and describes a person's manner; 'sorry' is the everyday word for feeling regret.
- regretful
- Stronger and more formal; 'sorry' is simpler and more common in speech.
- sympathetic
- Focuses on sharing someone's feelings; 'sorry' can also express sympathy but is more personal.
Opposites
Word family
- sorrily adverb
- In a sorry manner; poorly.
- sorriness noun
- The quality of being sorry or pitiful.
Commonly confused: sorry or sorrow?
sorry vs sorrow
Sorrow is a noun meaning deep sadness; sorry is an adjective describing feeling regret or sympathy.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence:
Choose one answer.
'Sorry for' is followed by a gerund (-ing form), so 'for keeping' is correct. 'Sorry to' is followed by a base verb (e.g., 'sorry to keep you waiting'), but 'sorry for keep' and 'sorry about keep' are ungrammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “sorry”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.