sorry
adjective · noun
Simple meaning
Regretful or apologetic for one's actions.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
sahreeSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈsɑɹi
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
of a person
Regretful or apologetic for one's actions.
of a person
Grieved or saddened, especially by the loss of something or someone.
Poor, pitifully sad or regrettable.
Pathetic; contemptibly inadequate.
noun
The act of saying sorry; an apology.
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner (estimated)
- Frequency
- Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: (of a person) Regretful or apologetic for one's actions.
Used this way, sorry is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Commonly Confused With
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What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Related Learning
Guides that use this word in context.
Professional
Professional Alternatives to “Sorry” (Without Sounding Cold)
Better ways to apologize or acknowledge a mistake at work, from genuine apologies to lighter acknowledgements, with tone notes and examples.
Word Differences
Sorry vs. Excuse Me vs. Pardon Me: What’s the Difference?
Learn the difference between “sorry,” “excuse me,” and “pardon me,” including when to apologize, interrupt, get someone’s attention, move past someone, or ask them to repeat themselves.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.