1 sorrow | Definition of sorrow
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sorrow

noun
sor·​row | \ ˈsär-(ˌ)ō How to pronounce sorrow (audio) , ˈsȯr-\

Definition of sorrow

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : deep distress, sadness, or regret especially for the loss of someone or something loved
b : resultant unhappy or unpleasant state to their great sorrow they could not marry
2 : a cause of grief or sadness
3 : a display of grief or sadness

sorrow

verb
sorrowed; sorrowing; sorrows

Definition of sorrow (Entry 2 of 2)

intransitive verb

: to feel or express sorrow
Other Words from sorrow Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym Example Sentences Learn More about sorrow

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Other Words from sorrow

Verb

sorrower \ ˈsär-​ə-​wər How to pronounce sorrower (audio) , ˈsȯr-​ \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for sorrow

Noun

sorrow, grief, anguish, woe, regret mean distress of mind. sorrow implies a sense of loss or a sense of guilt and remorse. a family united in sorrow upon the patriarch's death grief implies poignant sorrow for an immediate cause. the inexpressible grief of the bereaved parents anguish suggests torturing grief or dread. the anguish felt by the parents of the kidnapped child woe is deep or inconsolable grief or misery. cries of woe echoed throughout the bombed city regret implies pain caused by deep disappointment, fruitless longing, or unavailing remorse. nagging regret for missed opportunities

Noun

sorrow, grief, and woe mean a feeling of great sadness. sorrow is used for a feeling that something has been lost and often feelings of guilt and regret. He expressed sorrow for having caused the accident. grief is used for a feeling of great sorrow usually for a particular reason. She felt grief over the death of her pet. woe is used for a feeling of hopelessness and misery. All my troubles left me in a state of woe.

Examples of sorrow in a Sentence

Noun

 I felt sorrow at the death of my friend. a life filled with joys and sorrows She had a secret sorrow.

Verb

 a sorrowing mother, grieving over the death of her son the soldier's widow continued to sorrow long after her husband's last letter had turned yellow with age
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

 During a recent Sunday service, people were asked to share their joys, sorrows and concerns. — New York Times, "The Church Where Believing in God Isn’t Strictly Necessary," 6 Sep. 2019 Thank you to all my family and friends who have reached out to me during this time of sorrow. — Madeline Holcombe, CNN, "Baseball player says his life 'turned to ash' after the killing of his wife, son and mother-in-law," 30 Aug. 2019 Thank you to all my family and friends who have reached out to me during this time of sorrow. — Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, "Baseball player says his life ‘turned to ash’ after the killing of his wife, son and mother-in-law," 30 Aug. 2019 Love and sharing, of both joys and sorrow, are constant themes in Browne's lyrics. — Thom Duffy, Billboard, "Jackson Browne Sings of AIDS-Era Compassion With 'A Human Touch' for Beacon Theatre Crowd in New York," 27 June 2019 Those words, in a tweet posted Sunday by Ty Thompson, the principal of the Parkland school, captured the bittersweet tenor, both the joy and the sorrow, of Sunday afternoon’s Class of 2018 graduation ceremony at the BB&T Center in Sunrise. — Susannah Bryan, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Stoneman Douglas graduation: 'Our struggle is part of our story. It doesn't define us. Let it motivate us.'," 4 June 2018 His story took off like wildfire, inspiring people from all over to come share his sorrow. — Dallas News, "A grieving man’s cry for support draws people from all over to mourn El Paso massacre victim," 17 Aug. 2019 Within minutes of his passing, hundreds of people wanted to relieve me of my sorrow. — Patty Limerick, The Denver Post, "Limerick: We yearn to help after human tragedies, and there is a way," 16 Aug. 2019 Eppler said on Tuesday, and maybe, for a few brief hours, the familiar rhythms of the game helped drown out the sorrow. — Jon Tayler, SI.com, "'Our Team Will Never Be the Same': Angels Grieve Tyler Skaggs in Return to Action," 3 July 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

 Chili’s Wash away all your tax day sorrows with a $5 Cuervo Blue Margarita, made with silver tequila, blue Curacao and pineapple juice. — Madison Roberts, PEOPLE.com, "All the Restaurants Where You Can Get Free Food on Tax Day," 9 Apr. 2018 In some places, lynchings were accompanied by mob destruction of black business districts, adding economic devastation to sorrow. — Vanessa Gregory, New York Times, "A Lynching’s Long Shadow," 25 Apr. 2018 Ashton Kutcher isn’t the type to drown his breakup sorrows with a carton of ice cream and a box of tissues. — Mike Miller, PEOPLE.com, "Ashton Kutcher Fasted for a Week in the Woods After Demi Moore Divorce: 'I Started to Hallucinate'," 20 Feb. 2018 A skull, a crucifix and the suggestion of a sorrowing Rubenesque nude press in on a naked man (possibly the artist) who may be leaving them behind. — Roberta Smith, New York Times, "Painting From the 1980s, When Brash Met Flash," 9 Feb. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sorrow.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of sorrow

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for sorrow

Noun

Middle English sorow, from Old English sorg; akin to Old High German sorga sorrow

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