Sorry

/ˈsɒɹ.i/

Synonyms for "sorry" (178 found)

Ranked by relevance and common usage.

Closest matches (36)

Adjective(5 words)
afraidbadbluedarkdeplorable
Noun(2 words)
apologiesapologizing

Strong matches (53)

Interjection(2 words)
excuselamentable
Noun(2 words)
excuse melamenting

Related words (89)

Noun(2 words)
pardon merepenting

Choosing the right synonym

  • Closest matches in this entry: abject, afraid, afraid, apologetic, apologies.
  • Sentence evidence is available for sorry, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
  • Ranking signals come from moby, derived_reverse, opengloss, wordnet, and related lexical sources.

Synonym selection checklist

  • Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
  • Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
  • Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "sorry".
  • Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.

When not to replace "sorry"

Keep "sorry" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.

If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.

Replacement workflow

1. Preserve meaning

Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "sorry" intact in the sentence you are editing.

2. Tune tone

Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.

3. Re-read context

Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.

Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.

Final fit check

After choosing a replacement for "sorry", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.

If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "sorry" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.

Related word relations

OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.

6 relation types

More general

9 entries
conditiondiscourse markeremotional expressionemotional stateexpressionfeelinginterjectionqualitysocial communication

More specific

16 entries
acknowledgmentapologeticapologyapology lettercondolenceempathetic remarkexcuselamentable qualitymiserable conditionpardonpathetic performancepenitentpitypublic apologyregretremorseful

Collocations

13 entries
apologetic stanceapologetic toneapologycondolencepityregretremorsesorry excusesorry notesorry sightsorry statesorry talesympathy

Inflections

2 entries

Derivations

4 entries

similar

7 entries

Translations

98 translations across 40 languages.

Powered by Wiktionary

Afrikaans

3 entries
  • ekskuus intj (request to repeat)
  • wat het jy gesê? intj (request to repeat)
  • wat sê jy? intj (request to repeat)

Arabic

4 entries
  • عَفْوًا! intj (request to repeat)
  • عُذْراً! intj (request to repeat)
  • مَاذَا قُلْتَ؟ intj (request to repeat)
  • مَاذَا قُلْتِ؟ intj (request to repeat)

Bulgarian

1 entries
  • мо́ля? intj (request to repeat)

Catalan

1 entries
  • perdó intj (request to repeat)

Central Kurdish

2 entries
  • ببوورە intj (request to repeat)
  • بەڵێ intj (request to repeat)

Chinese Mandarin

4 entries
  • 什麼？ /什么？ intj (request to repeat)
  • 再説一遍 /再说一遍 intj (request to repeat)
  • 哦？ intj (request to repeat)
  • 請再説一遍 /请再说一遍 intj (request to repeat)

Czech

1 entries
  • prosím? intj (request to repeat)

Danish

1 entries
  • undskyld intj (request to repeat)

Dutch

3 entries
  • pardon? intj (request to repeat)
  • wat zeg je intj (request to repeat)
  • wat zegt u intj (request to repeat)

Esperanto

1 entries
  • pardonu intj (request to repeat)

Finnish

1 entries
  • anteeksi intj (request to repeat)

French

4 entries
  • comment? intj (request to repeat)
  • excuse-moi intj (request to repeat)
  • excusez-moi intj (request to repeat)
  • hein? intj (request to repeat)

Georgian

2 entries
  • რა intj (request to repeat)
  • უკაცრავად intj (request to repeat)

German

3 entries
  • bitte? intj (request to repeat)
  • wie bitte? intj (request to repeat)
  • wie? intj (request to repeat)

Hungarian

2 entries
  • elnézést, nem értem intj (request to repeat)
  • tessék? intj (request to repeat)

Icelandic

2 entries
  • afsakið? intj (request to repeat)
  • fyrirgefðu? intj (request to repeat)

Indonesian

1 entries
  • maaf intj (request to repeat)

Iranian Persian

2 entries
  • بِبَخْشید intj (request to repeat)
  • مَعْذِرَت میخواهَم intj (request to repeat)

Irish

1 entries
  • gabh mo leithscéal intj (request to repeat)

Italian

4 entries
  • come? intj (request to repeat)
  • cosa? intj (request to repeat)
  • eh? intj (request to repeat)
  • mi scusi? intj (request to repeat)

Japanese

4 entries
  • え？ intj (request to repeat)
  • もう一回 intj (request to repeat)
  • もう一度 intj (request to repeat)
  • もう一度いってください intj (request to repeat)

Korean

4 entries
  • 네? intj (request to repeat)
  • 넹? intj (request to repeat)
  • 다시 한번 더 말씀해주세요 intj (request to repeat)
  • 다시 한번 더 말씀해주시겠어요? intj (request to repeat)

Latin

1 entries
  • repete intj (request to repeat)

Limburgish

1 entries
  • waat? intj (request to repeat)

Malay

1 entries
  • minta maaf, maaf intj (request to repeat)

Mongolian

1 entries
  • юу гэнээ? intj (request to repeat)

Northern Sami

1 entries
  • ándagassii intj (request to repeat)

Norwegian Bokmål

1 entries
  • unnskyld intj (request to repeat)

Pannonian Rusyn

2 entries
  • модлїм intj (request to repeat)
  • модлїме intj (request to repeat)

Polish

2 entries
  • przepraszam? intj (request to repeat)
  • słucham? intj (request to repeat)

Portuguese

4 entries
  • como? intj (request to repeat)
  • hein? intj (request to repeat)
  • perdão? intj (request to repeat)
  • quê? intj (request to repeat)

Russian

3 entries
  • прошу́ проще́ния intj (request to repeat)
  • что вы сказа́ли? intj (request to repeat)
  • что? intj (request to repeat)

Scottish Gaelic

2 entries
  • b' àill leat? intj (request to repeat)
  • b' àill leibh? intj (request to repeat)

Serbo-Croatian

1 entries
  • molim? intj (request to repeat)

Spanish

4 entries
  • ¿ah? intj (request to repeat)
  • ¿cómo? intj (request to repeat)
  • ¿eh? intj (request to repeat)
  • ¿mande? intj (request to repeat)

Swedish

2 entries
  • förlåt intj (request to repeat)
  • ursäkta intj (request to repeat)

Turkish

2 entries
  • efendim intj (request to repeat)
  • pardon? intj (request to repeat)

Ukrainian

3 entries
  • про́шу? intj (request to repeat)
  • що-що? intj (request to repeat)
  • що? intj (request to repeat)

Urdu

2 entries
  • جِی؟ intj (request to repeat)
  • کْیا؟ intj (request to repeat)

Walloon

4 entries
  • cwè? intj (request to repeat)
  • kimint diss? intj (request to repeat)
  • kimint djhoz? intj (request to repeat)
  • pardon? intj (request to repeat)

Sample sentences

28 total sentences available.

Tatoeba + Wiktionary

Why are you sorry for something you haven't done?

Source: tatoeba (1469)

I'm sorry, I can't stay long.

Source: tatoeba (1541)

Oh, I'm sorry.

Source: tatoeba (1579)

Sorry, I don't think I'm gonna be able to.

Source: tatoeba (2036)

Showing 4 of 28 available sentences.

Common questions

What are the closest synonyms for "sorry"?

Closest matches include abject, afraid, afraid, apologetic, apologies.

How should I check whether a synonym fits "sorry"?

Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.

More for "sorry"

Meaning

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