| 释义 |
sorryn.2  Brit.  /ˈsɒri/, /ˈsʌri/, /səˈriː/, U.S. /ˈsɔri/, /ˈsɑri/, /ˈsəri/, /səˈri/Origin: A variant or alteration of another lexical item. Etymon: sirrah n. Etymology: Variant of sirrah n. Now regional and colloquial. the world > people > person > man > [noun] α. a1555 D. Lindsay (1602) 28 Now sirray tell quhat is zour name? ?1562 sig. A.iv Howe syrray, approche syr Launcelot de lake. 1594 sig. D Well sirray your faire words hath something Alaied my Coller. 1823 1 300 Oi say, sirree, where be'st the gwain? 1884 1 Mar. 105/2 Pleased to meet you, Sirree, as one of the most re-markable men of your country! 1902 T. W. Reid iv. 155 He talked with a distinct twang..and he addressed me and his other friends as ‘Siree’ or ‘Colonel’. 1920 E. O'Duffy (new ed.) xv. 451 Now, sirree, what do you think of that adventure? This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2011; most recently modified version published online June 2022). sorryadj.int.n.1 Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with or formed similarly to West Frisian searich sore, spotty, scabby, Middle Dutch sērich , sērech , zērich , seerich sore, ill, scabby, sad, feeling grief or sorrow (Dutch (now regional) zerig , †zeerig sore, sensitive, hurt, sad, grieving, scabby, etc.), Old Saxon sērag sad (Middle Low German sērich ill, scabby), Old High German sērag (Middle High German sērec , sēric hurt, painful, sore, German regional sērich , sehrig , särig , etc. ill, painful, hurt, sensitive, scabby, etc.) < the Germanic base of sore n.1 + the Germanic base of -y suffix1. Compare sorry-mood adj., sorriness n.Already in Old English closely associated with the etymologically unrelated word sorrow n. (and its derivatives), which occupied the same semantic field of distress and suffering, and with which it developed an even closer formal resemblance in Middle English after the rounding of long ā to long open ō (compare especially reflexes of Old English inflected forms of sorrow n. with palatalized g , as e.g. soreȝe , soriȝe , sorye ); see discussion at sorrow n. The two words (and their derivatives) are often collocated: compare e.g. quots. OE, ?c1225 at sense A. 1c, a1616 at sense A. 5a at the present entry, quot. a1225 at sorrow n. 1aδ. , quot. c1450 at sorrow n. 6, quots. OE2, c1275 at sorry-mood adj. A number of formations in sorry adj. have near-synonymous parallels in sorrow n. (as e.g. sorrowness n. beside sorriness n., sorrowful adj. beside sorryful adj.), in which it can be difficult to determine which word is intended. The association between the two words remains so close that speakers of current English often use sorry adj. as an adjectival form of sorrow n. As a result, sorrow n. has exerted semantic and possibly formal influence on the present word. While cognates of sorry adj. and the related words sore n.1 and sore adj.1 denote both physical and mental suffering in early use (and are now largely restricted to aspects of pain), sorrow n. and its cognates primarily express the idea of mental and emotional suffering, and the narrowing of the present word to this branch of meaning has been attributed to its long-standing association with sorrow n. (See further C. Molina Avila in Estudios Inglese de la Universidad Complutense 5 (1997) 205–18.) The modern pronunciation (with short o ), reflecting a form with shortening of Middle English long ō , perhaps arose as a phonological development, either by shortening in the first syllable of trisyllabic inflected forms (although in this case the shortening must have been relatively late, after the rounding of long ā to long open ō ) or by similar shortening in trisyllabic derivatives with secondary stress (as e.g. sorriness n., sorrily adv., sorry-mood adj.), or perhaps resulted from remodelling after sorrow n.; it is possible that a combination of these factors was involved. A. adj. (and int.) 1. the mind > emotion > suffering > sorrow or grief > [adjective] α. eOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius (Otho) (2009) I. xxiii. 490 Ða sceolde se hearpere [sc. Orpheus] weorðan swa sarig þæt he ne meahte ongemong oðrum monnum bion. OE (Claud.) xlviii. 17 Ða Iosep geseah þæt his fæder sette his swiþran hand ofer Efraimes heafod, he wearþ swiðe sarig. lOE (Laud) (Peterborough interpolation) anno 1114 Þa wæron hi swa sari swa hi næfre ær ne wæron. a1225 (c1200) (1888) 69 (MED) Ðies ȝunge mann ȝiede a-wei sari. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon (Calig.) (1978) l. 14204 Wenhauer þa quene særȝest wimmonne. a1325 (c1250) (1968) l. 408 Swilc tiding ðhugte adam god, And sumdel quemeð it his seri mood. a1400 (a1325) (Vesp.) l. 20378 Sai now broþer, suet iohan, Qui ertu sa sari man? a1425 (c1333–52) L. Minot (1914) 24 Ful sari was sir Philip þen. ?c1450 (1891) l. 570 Þe childe was sary and þerfore grett. c1480 (a1400) Seven Sleepers l. 123 in W. M. Metcalfe (1896) I. 429 Sary ware þai þane ilkane. a1513 W. Dunbar (1998) I. 80 Lat ws in hairt nevir moir be sarie. a1585 A. Montgomerie 2nd Invective in (2000) I. xcix. 153 Quhair sevin ȝeirs it sowkit, sweillit, singit and sarie. the mind > emotion > suffering > sorrow or grief > lamentation or expression of grief > [adjective] OE (2008) 2447 Þonne he gyd wrece, sarigne sang, þonne his sunu hangað hrefne to hroðre. OE (1932) lv. 7 Ic nu leofum gode lif min secge, sette on ðinre gesyhðe sarige tearas. a1275 in C. Brown (1932) 46 Þenne seit þe sole wid sorie chere: ‘Awei! wrechede bodi’. a1393 J. Gower (Fairf.) i. l. 2182 (MED) With sobbinge and with sory teres This lord goth thanne an humble pas. a1400 (a1325) (Gött.) l. 15169 Mani sari sigh..sank tille his herte. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer (Hengwrt) (2003) §241 If he ne hadde pitee of mannes soule, a sory song we myghten alle synge. a1425 (c1395) (Royal) (1850) Gen. xl. 7 Whi is ȝoure face soriere to dai than it ys wont? 1561 T. Norton & T. Sackville iv. ii But what doth meane The sory chere of her that here doth come? 1567 (1897) 89 Quhen sall my hart ceis of this sorie sang? 1621 R. Burton i. ii. iv. vii. 215 A wicked wife makes a sorry countenance, an heavy heart. 1793 S. Thomson 57 The streamlet sings..a drowsy burden to my sorry song! 1847 Mar. 247 An old habit of procrastination has been revived, now that I am away from your sadly sorry look, when you see it is not conquered. 1888 May 228/1 I can tell by the eager or sorry expression of their faces..whether their anticipations are cheerful or otherwise. 1908 J. Payne 54 Thou shouldst..tune thy sorry song Of far forgotten wrong To some more modern ditty. 1976 M. Angelou (1977) xx. 155 I looked at the pianist, who was white and thin and had a long sorry face. 1992 J. Armstrong (1993) 39 Miz Fidelia began a sorry lament as soon as her mother appeared. the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > wretchedness > [adjective] the mind > emotion > suffering > sorrow or grief > [adjective] > causing sorrow or grief OE (1992) xxi. 359 Se bitera dæg & se micla cwyld & þara manna dream & seo sarie sorh & þara sawla gedal & se deadberenda [read deaðberenda] draca & deofla forwyrd & se nearwa seað & se swearta deað. ?c1225 (?a1200) (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 86 Sare stiche of sari soreȝe & sorechful. a1325 (c1250) (1968) l. 1974 Ðo iacob sag dat sori writ, He gret. c1325 (c1300) (Calig.) l. 7296 Þere hii smite to gadere & made a sori pley. a1375 (c1350) (1867) l. 3696 So þroli a sori þouȝt þirled min hert. a1393 J. Gower (Fairf.) iv. l. 1347 Thus was the hors in sori plit. a1400 (a1325) (Vesp.) l. 2922 Þat sari sight was on to se. ?c1450 (1891) l. 6754 Halfdene kyng of danmarke Made in Ingland sary warke. c1500 King & Hermit in M. M. Furrow (1985) 253 I ne hade neuer so sory a dey That I ne had a mery nyȝt. 1513 G. Douglas tr. Virgil iii. iv. 13 The fluid of Stix, that sory place. 1575 G. Gascoigne Hearbes in (1587) 163 I must indite A wofull case, a chip of sorie chance. a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) ii. ii. 18 This is a sorry sight. Lady. A foolish thought, to say a sorry sight. View more context for this quotation 1683 19 After that this sorry course had lasted about seven or eight Months, my Mother..fell sick and was reduced to that extremity, that she dyed at the Weeks end. 1767 C. Smart tr. Horace Satires ii. i, in tr. Horace (new ed.) III. 143 May I make a sorry end [L. peream male], If you are not my worthiest friend. 1778 17 A Bishop dangling is a sorry Sight. 1845 34 281 He spent two vexatious years in the sorry business of secularization and indemnization. 1879 H. R. Mighels 292 Two or three days ago, a young Frenchman was brought in with a sorry wound in the forehead. 1925 Jan. 16/2 I find myself now in..a sorry situation. 1959 C. Mackenzie 208 It will be a sorry day for the Republic. 1996 D. W. Cross (1997) xxii. 285 Things had come to a sorry pass when Lothar needed children to fight his battles. 2. In predicative use, usually following a verb as to be, to look, to seem, etc.: grieved or vexed about a particular thing; regretful. Sometimes difficult to distinguish from sense A. 3a.eOE King Ælfred tr. Boethius (Otho) (2009) I. vi. 402 Se [sc. Symmachus] is swiðe sarig for ðinum earfoðum & for ðinum wræcsiðe. OE Ælfric (Julius) (1900) II. 324 Þa..com þæt landfolc to.., þær heora hlafordes lic læg butan heafde, and wurdon swiðe sarige for his slege on mode. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon (Calig.) (1963) l. 6981 Bruttes weoren særi [c1300 Otho sori] for swulchere isihðe. c1325 (c1300) (Calig.) l. 7051 Þer uore þe king uor is deþ þe soriore was. c1405 (c1390) G. Chaucer (Hengwrt) (2003) §415 Enuye..is sory of alle the bountees of his neighebore. a1450 (Pierpont Morgan) (1865) l. 2068 The pouer wer sory of that dooyng. 1489 (a1380) J. Barbour (Adv.) ii. 65 He wes off his eschap sary. 1490 W. Caxton tr. (1885) xxiv. 515 Moche sori was thadmyrall for the dethe of margaris. 1548 f. ccxxxviijv Yf any man were sory of the duke of Burgoyns death. 1585 T. Washington tr. N. de Nicolay i. v. 4 The captaines..being very sorie for it had restored vnto him that which was taken. 1621 M. Wroth 435 If..these speeches haue proceeded only from your well-wishes to mee, I must be sorry for them. 1669 Ld. Orrery VI. iii. vii. 201 I was sorry at his Death. 1704 W. Congreve 14 Oct. (1964) 32 I find you are resolved to be a man of this world, which I am sorry for, because it will deprive me of you. 1771 Mrs. Harris in (1870) I. 214 As you have reason to be fond of Spain and it's inhabitants, you may not be sorry at being remanded. 1806 4 202 We are sorry at observing references to Bryant. 1920 E. Wharton i. ix. 77 He was not sorry for the dénouement of his visit. 1980 S. W. Martins iv. 124 The estate was again sorry at the prospect of his leaving, but this time they thought someone was interested in taking on the farm. 2001 R. Tope (2003) ix. 139 He hadn't seemed sorry about Sean's death. He'd been more upset at the disappearance of his fork. ?c1225 (?a1200) (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 70 Sorchful & sari ich am þet ich hit schal seggen. c1300 St. Brendan (Harl.) l. 74 in C. Horstmann (1887) 222 (MED) Þis monekes..sori were & wroþe ynouȝ þat we hadde so longe ibeo. c1400 (?a1300) (Laud) (1952) l. 6130 (MED) Þe kyng was sory..Þat he ne miȝth ȝiue hem bataile. c1430 (c1386) G. Chaucer (Cambr. Gg.4.27) (1879) l. 1082 Sche..seyde..that sche sory was That he hath had swych peryl. c1450 (?a1400) (Ashm.) l. 665 I am sary..at þi fourme Is lickenand on na lym..to my selfe. 1548 f. lxxixv I am somwhat sory that king Henries seruantes of the seller made not maister Enguerant drinke. 1568 Abp. M. Parker Let. 6 Feb. in (1853) (modernized text) 310 But I am sorry he can so soon conceive displeasantly against me. 1623 W. Shakespeare & J. Fletcher i. ii. 111 I am sorry, that the Duke of Buckingham Is run in your displeasure. View more context for this quotation 1673 J. Dryden iv. i. 54 I am sorry we shall not have one course together at the herd. 1733 D. Neal II. 216 He was sorry that an established doctrine of the Church should be so distasted. 1797 A. M. Bennett II. xvi. 310 She was..sorry Doctor Cameron objected to her maternal arrangements. 1823 H. W. Longfellow in S. Longfellow (1891) I. iii. 33 I am rather sorry that the Exhibition falls so late in the year. 1891 F. W. Farrar II. lviii. 255 I am sorry..that the Emperor's commands admit of no such delay. 1908 Nov. 558/2 Witness, Bierschnickit..took the chair indicated, and looked sorry that the seat was not a back one. 1938 J. Thurber 24 Mar. (2002) 296 I am sorry I missed the chance to see Vienna as Viennese. 1953 J. Wain (1960) 205 Well, Lumley, I'm sorry you're down on your luck. 1993 Oct. 52/1 About euphorbias we are only sorry that we can grow so few outdoors. 2007 C. J. Pendergest 219 You'll be sorry that you ever messed with me! a1393 J. Gower (Fairf.) iii. l. 2203 Of this aventure..Min herte is sory forto hiere. a1450 (?c1421) J. Lydgate (Arun.) (1911) l. 3967 (MED) Some of hem wer sory to departe. 1535 T. Starkey Let. in (1878) i. p. xix For sory hys hyghnes wold be to see you not to reche vn-to so manyfest a truthe. 1555 R. Eden in tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Pref. sig. bij They are sory to occupie the whyppe yf thou mightest otherwyse bee brought to obedience. 1619 in W. Foster (1906) 74 I am sorrye to heare of John Younges disaster. 1670 Lady M. Bertie in (1890) App. v. 21 I am very sorry to heare that the small pox increase. 1769 ‘Junius’ (1772) I. iii. 30 I am sorry to tell you..that, in this article, your first fact is false. 1782 F. Burney IV. viii. ii. 185 I shall not be sorry to hear it. c1835 S. Smith Let. on Sir J. Mackintosh in (1859) II. 302/1 I am sorry to say I have none to send you. 1861 J. Pycroft (1862) 419 There were not a few little ways and snuggeries that they felt sorry to be about to leave. 1929 O. Nash Let. 28 Oct. in (1990) 65 I'm sorry to report that my arm is wide awake and seems likely to remain so for some time. 1974 25 Feb. 86/2 Serious horseplayers will be sorry to hear..that the take from the mutuels will again be seventeen per cent. 1994 P. O'Brian (1996) i. 21 I should be very sorry to see my Titicaca grebe decay. 3. Feeling or expressing remorse; penitent; apologetic. Frequently with clause, infinitive, or adverbial phrase giving the reason for such remorse or apology. OE 88 Him þæt þonne geleanað lifes waldend, heofona hyrde, æfter heonansiþe godum dædum, þæs þe he swa geomor wearð, sarig fore his synnum. a1225 (c1200) (1888) 127 (MED) Þeih he michel mis-do, nis for ði na mare sori þanne ȝif he nadde naht mis-don. ?a1300 Thrush & Nightingale (Digby) l. 83 in C. Brown (1932) 103 Hit is shome to blame leuedi, For hem þou shalt gon sori. c1390 in C. Brown (1924) 167 (MED) Schrift of mouþe mi sunnus schal slake, And I schal sece and beo sori. c1400 (Bodl.) 43 (MED) Þou hast not be alwei sori seþ þou trespassist aȝens him. c1460 (McClean) (1960) 55 (MED) A soule..shuld be sory yif she bringe forth..þe bad frute of euyl werkis. a1500 (Royal) (1981) 53 (MED) We knowlege owre offence and synnys, be contrite and sory þerfore, and be in will to amend vs. 1581 B. Rich sig. E.iv I now forsake the former tyme I spent. And sorie am, for that I was miswent. 1606 T. Dekker sig. G4 The soule sees deathes Barge tarrying for her, she begins to be sorrie for her ante-acted euils. 1671 H. Oldenburg Let. 11 Feb. in (1970) VII. 453 I am sorry I troubled you wth ye news of ye not-delivery of yr boxe, because it is come to hand since. 1741 S. Richardson xxiv Provided she humble herself,..and is sorry for her pertness. 1791 A. Radcliffe II. x. 86 I'm sorry I frightened you so last night. 1846 C. Dickens (1848) v. 37 ‘I'm sorry to give you so much trouble, Towlinson.’.. ‘Not at all, Miss.’ 1863 G. Meredith 19 Feb. (1970) I. 193 Did you say in it you are sorry for your virulent offensive letter that I received?.. If so, a slap on the back and we're friends again. 1911 E. Marshall vii. 120 Can't you see she's sorry?.. Kiss her and make up. 1952 M. Laski xiii. 187 ‘I'm really sorry,’ pleaded Margaret contritely. 1971 Sept. 35/1 Barry told Suzy that she was a pretty lousy martial artist. He was sorry, but he was only being honest. 1989 T. Clancy vi. 108 Okay, maybe I shouldn't 'a snapped the one over the rail—lost my cool, and I shouldn't have—okay, I'm sorry about that. 2006 I. Lawrence (2008) 221 ‘Well, I'm sorry,’ she said, though she didn't look sorry, or sound sorry. the mind > emotion > suffering > regret > [adjective] > expressing regret 1843 Mar. 100/2 Miss Marion, good morning, see you to-morrow—sorry I'm in such haste. 1857 H. Melville xx. 143 Sorry we missed him just now. But you'll hear from him. 1888 H. Alger iv. 28 ‘Sorry to inconvenience you,’ he said, with a glance at the bag. 1901 R. G. K. Wrench 52 Sorry,..‘I beg your pardon.’ Not now confined to Winchester. 1914 G. B. Shaw Fanny's Last Play Induct., in 167 Sorry. Never heard of him. 1923 28 Sept. 19/2 No! sorry, I thought you were Cardiff. 1938 E. Waugh ii. ii. 157 I will say you're a quick worker. Sorry to barge in on the tender scene. 1954 W. Faulkner 76 He said, ‘All right. Sorry. I didn't know you had a wife.’ 1982 W. J. Burley i. 17 ‘Sorry to bother you on a Sunday morning...’ ‘Think nothing of it’. 2002 S. Perera 116 Sorry for the crunching. I'm comfort eating. c. Interrogatively, requesting the repetition of words that the speaker failed to hear or understand (or sometimes, finds hard to believe): ‘What did you say?’, ‘Could you repeat that?’, ‘Pardon?’. Also as int.the mind > language > speech > repetition > [adjective] > requesting that speaker repeat words 1965 W. Trevor vi. 69 He said sorry meaning pardon. 1972 T. Stoppard II. 62 Miss Moore, is there anything you wish to say at this stage? Dotty (in the sense of ‘Pardon?’): Sorry? Bones: My dear, we are all sorry—. 1978 P. Howard vii. 46 For its part ‘sorry’ is coming to mean: ‘Please say that again; I did not hear you.’ 1982 P. Redmond (Mersey TV transmission script) (O.E.D. Archive) Episode 3. 21 Girl. Right, I think that's it. I suppose you're signed with P.E.R.? Paul. Sorry? Girl. Professional and Executive Register. 2003 23 Mar. i. 3/2 In extreme cases may prevent personal hygiene, which commonly leads to maggot infestation and death. Sorry? Yes, that's right, maggot infestation and death. 1967 A. Wilson ii. 82 ‘I'm sorry?’ he asked with formal politeness. 1988 D. Waters (film script) (O.E.D. Archive) 13 Heather Chandler. You wanted to become a member of the most powerful clique in the school. If I wasn't already the head of it, I'd want the same thing.Veronica. I'm sorry? What are you oozing about? 2000 K. Atkinson (2001) 71 ‘I'm sorry?’ I said, thinking I must have mis-heard. 2007 P. Barker vi. 44 ‘I say, Tarrant, you're not chippy, are you?’ ‘I'm sorry?’ ‘Chippy. A bit, you know—’. 4. a. Of a person: wretched, pathetic; poor. the mind > emotion > compassion > quality of exciting pity > [adjective] c1225 Lofsong Lefdi (Royal) in R. Morris (1868) 1st Ser. 305 Ich a sari sunful þing bidde þin are. a1325 (c1250) (1968) l. 1074 Ðo sori wrecches of yuel blod Wulden him ðor gret strengðe don. a1350 Body & Soul (Harl. 2253) l. 96 in A. S. M. Clark (Ph.D. diss., Univ. of Michigan) (1972) 141 Hy shal..þolien harde pinen wyþ þat sory Judas. c1380 (1879) l. 1252 ‘Rest,’ quaþ sche, ‘þow sory wyȝt god ȝyue yuele chaunce!’ c1450 (?a1400) (Ashm.) l. 4417 Loo, sary sottis slike a sowme of synnars ȝe lufe! a1550 Birch'd School-boy (Balliol Oxf. 354) in (2002) i. 404 My master lokith as he were madde: ‘wher hast thou be, thow sory ladde?’ 1579 W. Fulke Heskins Parl. Repealed in 445 There is..one sorie boy, that helpeth ye priest to Masse. 1624 T. Gataker 102 Whom they themselves account to be but a sorry obscure fellow. 1673 W. Cave i. iii. 49 The Christians were such a sorry inconsiderable people. 1748 S. Richardson III. xii. 86 Continue Esquire. It is a respectable addition, altho' every sorry fellow assumes it. 1780 W. Shaw I Peasan, a punchy sorry little fellow. 1856 R. W. Emerson xi. 192 The baron..grew fat and wanton, and a sorry brute. 1886 30 Oct. 562/2 His hero is a sorry knave, without principle or rectitude. 1914 F. P. Adams (1920) 93 Their limbs were bent, their heads awry,They seemed two sorry freaks. 1970 R. Davies v. i. 219 Though their husbands may be men of mark to the world, they are sorry wretches at home. 2004 C. Channer 261 You're nothing but a soggy, wrinkled bitch. I didn't want to take a photograph of you. I was just trying to be nice. You're a sorry woman, Mrs. Rawle. the world > action or operation > ability > inability > [adjective] > unable or unapt > to do something spec. a1400 (a1325) (Trin. Cambr.) l. 19199 Seruauntis elles be we sory. ?1506 (de Worde) sig. A.ivv Or elles thou hast ben a sory housband And leued in stroke and stryfe. 1597 J. Gerard ii. 501 A poore sorie Barbar, who had no more skill than he had learned by tradition. 1652 P. Heylyn ii. sig. Kk6 A sorry gainer by the undertaking. 1680 W. Allen (ed. 2) 81 We know what sorry Saints many of them appear to be. 1707 E. Ward 10 Tho' he's but a very sorry Horse-man, yet he's mightily given to the Chase. 1796 A. Thomson tr. Suetonius 343 He would order the cover of the theatre to be taken off,..presenting..the most sorry gladiators, decrepit with age, and fit only for the pegma. 1834 F. Marryat II. iv. 91 I shall prove but a sorry sweetheart, for I never made love in my life. 1871 B. Jowett tr. Plato I. 149 I am a sorry physician, and do but aggravate a disorder which I am seeking to cure. 1944 584/1 They were as sorry negationists and defeatists as this promiscuous old world has ever produced. 1993 13 Nov. (Weekend Suppl.) 68/1 My husband limps, I can't ride a bike—a sorry pair of prospective tandemists. the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > inferior thing > [adjective] the mind > goodness and badness > inferiority or baseness > wretchedness > [adjective] the mind > attention and judgement > importance > unimportance > [adjective] > of little worth 1372 in C. Brown (1924) 82 (MED) A Sory beuerech it is, & sore it is a-bouth. 12 Concl. Lollards (Trin. Hall Cambr.) in (1907) 22 296 Pride with his sori genealogie of dedly synnes. a1400 (a1325) (Vesp.) l. 807 Þe find..said wit hin his sari thoght, ‘Ic haue him don to suinc for noght’. a1450 (c1410) H. Lovelich lv. l. 326 For ho-so Entreth In to this place, he may ben Siker Of Sory Grace. ?c1450 tr. (1906) 33 Sori loue haue she that tellith[e] not the name of hym that last praied her. 1530 J. Palsgrave 209 Cosshe, a sorie house, cauerne. 1565 T. Stapleton f. 90 It is not inough to make a few sory surmises. 1621 in W. Foster (1906) 339 A sorrie some for a Governour to borrowe. 1656 H. Jeanes 8 Thus, you see, that the feare of men hath..a poore, a sorry, and contemptible object. 1716 Lady M. W. Montagu 25 Nov. (1965) I. 286 Tis very good Luck to..get one sorry room in a miserable Tavern. 1771 H. Mackenzie xiv I was forced to beg my bread; and a sorry trade I found it. 1849 D. M. Mulock iii That she now wrote the sorriest hand imaginable. 1889 F. E. Gretton 153 You can put up with a sorry lodging for yourself, but beware of a bad stable for your steed. 1943 141/2 In 1909 a gang commenced work on clearing the site of the sorry pile of wreckage. 1994 C. Grant i. 4 You get the miseries, drink too much and pass out, and then I gotta lug your sorry ass to that sorry hole you call a house. 2002 30 Jan. 21/2 A sorry excuse for a government that is propped up by western oil companies, arms sales, and systemic internal repression. a1500 R. Henryson tr. Æsop Fables: Lion & Mouse l. 1493 in (1981) 60 Vnhailsum meit is of ane sarie mous. a1513 W. Dunbar (1998) I. 116 Sum..Ar nou maid tame lyk ony lammis, And settin down lyk sarye crockis. ?1523 J. Fitzherbert f. xxv Than thou may take thy sory weke ewe away and put her in an other place. 1547 W. Salesbury Oenyn, a sory lambe. a1628 J. Carmichaell (1957) No. 192 A sarie ramb gets a sarie lamb. 1673 W. Cave i. i. 12 Trampled on by the sorriest Creatures, Mice, Swallows, &c. 1742 D. Hume (1870) xxiii. 158 One man, with a couple of sorry horses. 1760 L. Sterne I. x. 35 Mounted..upon a lean, sorry, jack-ass of a horse. 1801 M. Edgeworth Forester in I. 113 Philip staked his handsome horse..against Archibald's sorry poney. 1849 E. E. Napier I. 290 Mounted on very sorry hacks. 1875 L. F. Tasistro tr. Comte de Paris I. 295 The sorrier the horses the greater the consumption. 1920 J. P. Fletcher iii. 45 Mounted on a sorry nag,..they took him out of his own hall and castle. 1998 B. White (1999) vi. 46 The money you have poured into that sorry dog,..rabies shots, heartworm treatment, worms. 5. a1400 (a1325) (Fairf. 14) l. 12433 Ioseph..was ful sary for þe childe. 1484 W. Caxton tr. xi Allas, sayd the mayde, I am sory for yow. 1530 J. Palsgrave 681/2 When I recorde the gentyll wordes he hath had unto me, it maketh my herte full sorye for hym. 1592 T. Kyd iii. sig. F2 I am in a sorte sorie for thee. a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) iii. v. 87 Phe. Why I am sorry for thee gentle Siluius. Sil. Where euer sorrow is, reliefe would be. View more context for this quotation 1668 J. Owen xvii. 285 He considering his condition, tells him, Alas, I am sorry for you. 1715 D. Defoe I. i. iv. 101 Well, Sister, I am sorry for you. 1773 J. Wesley 28 May (1931) VI. 29 I am sorry for William Sparks; but pride must have a fall. T. Johnson has better work. 1874 12 354 She saw a gopher on his back in the hot sun, and was sorry for the animal, and turned it over with her foot. 1882 M. E. Braddon I. vi. 157 I think we all feel sorrier for him than for many a better man. 1932 ‘L. G. Gibbon’ Prelude 29 The body would feel real sorry for her till next minute she'd be screeching at Andy or Tony. 1977 J. Johnston 35 ‘What teacher do you have?’ ‘Miss McCabe.’ ‘God, is she still going. I'm sorry for you.’ 1999 H. Redknapp & D. McGovern (new ed.) xi. 171 Why should I feel sorry for him? I'd like to be earning what he'll be picking up this week. the mind > emotion > compassion > [adjective] > full of self-pity 1767 W. Kenrick iii. iii. 50 Though I am horribly disappointed in my own expectations, I declare I am less sorry for myself than for him. 1827 W. Scott 1st Ser. I. iv. 55 The house was old and dilapidated, and looked sorry for itself. 1883 Oct. 268 ‘I do not see why you should be sorry for yourself,’ she answered... ‘Not many men have such a wife as I am to you.’ 1918 Dec. 473/2 These wounded or maimed boys are not on the whole, I think, so very sorry for themselves. 1973 R. M. Brown 148 I'm not sittin' here on this Goddamn subway train feeling sorry for myself. 1981 ‘J. Gash’ (1983) xix. 156 I've never seen anybody look so sorry for himself, the pillock. 2006 P. Williams ix. 83 There's no point feeling sorry for myself all the time, it doesn't get me anywhere. B. n.1the mind > emotion > suffering > sorrow or grief > [noun] > sorrowful person OE 1510 Sarge ge ne sohton, ne him swæslic word frofre gespræcon, þæt hy þy freoran hyge mode gefengen. OE Ælfric Homily: De Duodecim Abusivis (Corpus Cambr. 178) in R. Morris (1868) 1st Ser. 300 On manegum wisum man mæg wyrcan ælmyssan.., gif man seocne geneosað oððe sarigne frefrað. OE (1932) liv. 1 Gehyr min gebed, halig drihten, ne forseoh æfre sariges bene. a1225 (c1200) (1888) 137 (MED) Hali fasten..beȝiet ðe senfulle forȝifnesse..ðe sari, gladnesse. a1400 (a1325) (Vesp.) l. 24861 (MED) Þaa sori loked ai sua for-suonken. c1400 (a1376) W. Langland (Trin. Cambr. R.3.14) (1960) A. xi. l. 193 (MED) Þus bed þe dobet..Sike with þe sory, singe with þe glade. a1500 in (1893) 90 298 Comforth þe sory..Haue rewth on þe synner. 1615 J. Amner i. xxiii. sig. D.iv Ioye to the sorry, to God bee glory, to God bee glorie, Alleluia. 1906 B. Carman II. 46 The sorry are sad no more. society > morality > virtue > righteousness or rectitude > reform, amendment, or correction > repentance or contrition > [noun] > acknowledgement of guilt or offence 1807 J. Austen Let. 8–9 Feb. in (2004) 81 You may accordingly prepare for my ringing the Changes of the Glads & Sorrys for the rest of the page. a1864 R. S. Surtees (1892) xliii. 277 Then came the thanks and the sorries, and the tantalising promises to write if they thought more of him. 1914 J. Stocking 98 I did not want to send it [sc. an old chit book], with its past history of innumerable ‘sorrys’ all over Shanghai. 1976 P. Hill x. 130 I did what I did. I said my sorries. That's it. 2008 S. King 406 ‘I never meant to hurt you, I'm so sorry—’ She put two fingers against my lips. ‘I don't want your sorry.’ Phrasesthe mind > emotion > suffering > sorrow or grief > [adjective] ?c1225 (?a1200) (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 27 Þencheð vpoðe..seke & þe sarie inoure heorte. c1400 (?a1387) W. Langland (Huntington HM 137) (1873) C. xx. l. 326 For þer ne is syk ne sory..Þat he ne may [etc.]. ?1403 in T. F. Simmons (1879) 65 For al that er sek and sary. a1450 (1885) 511 Whanne I was seke and soriest. 1591 R. Southwell To Rdr. sig. A8 The copies therof flew so fast, and so false abroad, that it was in danger to come corrupted to the print..disguised in..some sicke and sory fethers of his owne phansies. a1655 H. Tubbe (1915) 78 She tells her huge, wide-gaping Auditorie, That She is greivous sick, and fearfull sorry To see the Power Rampant of the States So much declin'd. 1726 N. Uring 179 Our true Sots..who, if you ask how they do next Day, say they are neither sick nor sorry. 1760 S. Foote i. 41 The time has been, when I could have earn'd thirty shillings a day by own dry drinking, and the next morning was neither sick nor sorry. 1811 Ld. Byron 29 June (1973) II. 54 In short I am sick, & sorry, & when I have a little repaired my irreparable affairs, away I shall march. 1876 T. Hardy II. xlvii. 259 Looking as sick and sorry as a lily with a slug in its stalk. 1911 R. Brooke 71 And I was sorry and sick, and wished to die. 1920 C. O'Riordan xv. 163 He felt sick and sorry for all dead people as he entered the cemetery gates. 2003 ‘N. Roberts’ (2004) x. 169 It made her sick inside, sick and sorry. 1822 M. Edgeworth I. 183 Frank put his hand before Lewis's mouth, and stopped the word. ‘Do not say sorry, for I am glad; we shall be very happy together.’ 1884 K. Wood vi. 83 Trottie meant to say ‘sorry’, but could not easily express herself. 1936 D. Thomas c20 Apr. (1987) 222 But I want to say Sorry, and I hope you'll forgive me. 1977 J. Johnston 99 ‘Look where you're putting your big feet, kiddo.’ ‘I said sorry, didn't I?’ 2008 29 Dec. (Life section) 5/5 Don't use the apology as a springboard for round two of the initial argument. You are supposed to be saying sorry. Compounds C1. Compounds of the adjective. a1382 (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Prov. vii. 7 I beholde the sori hertid ȝunge man. a1382 (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Prov. ix. 17 And to the sory hertid she spac [etc.]. 1736 W. Ellis 118 The Sap of a Winter-fell'd Oak, is almost as good as a sorry hearted one fell'd in Summer. 1786 J. Abercrombie Arrangem. Plants 51 in Miserable, or sorry-flowered [aster]. 1819 7 Feb. 81/2 They are apt to be sorry-minded enough. 1844 Ld. Houghton 242 Without a wish for rest or friends, a sorry-hearted man. 1962 M. Hurd vi. 61 Ernest Newman, who had up to that time been rather sorry-mouthed about the whole venture. a1972 J. Berryman (1973) 59 A twelve-year-old all solemn, sorry-faced, described himself lately as ‘a lifetime prick’. 1993 I. Rankin (2000) xxiii. 220 A young man was sitting on the bunk, unshaven and sorry-eyed. b. 1745 tr. A. R. Le Sage I. iii. 263 Five or six sorry looking Clerks. 1796 iii. iii. 70 I make but a sorry looking old hag, to be sure. 1872 ‘M. Twain’ v. 48 The cayote is a..sorry-looking skeleton. 1903 10 June 9/3 A mangy and altogether sorry-looking object. 2002 25 Nov. 80/1 Basra..is a beat-up, sorry-looking town, bisected by trash-strewn roads and canals filled with raw sewage. c. the mind > emotion > suffering > dejection > [noun] > depressing quality > depressing thing, person, or circumstances 1898 3 Feb. 5/4 Self-proclaimed politicians, circumambulating the country in rather a sorry-go-round than a merry-go-round fashion. 1900 N. A. Smith 7 He complains..that it makes existence a perpetual sorry-go-round of self-sacrifice. 1964 29 Apr. 630/1 It was time to stop the ‘sorry-go-round’ of inflation. 2007 E. Neiva vii. 229 This is precisely the conception of knowledge that carries conventionalist semiotics into a tautological sorry-go-round. C2. Compounds of the noun. 1969 13 Jan. 13/7 By this time you should have received a ‘Sorry’ card from the company. 1982 K. Auletta i. 14 Leon Harris remembers shooting people and sending unsigned ‘sorry letters’ to the relatives. 2002 H. Gooder & J. M. Jacobs in A. Blunt & C. McEwan xii. 211 It would seem that for many non-indigenous participants in the Sorry Events it was the performance of the apology that was centrally important. 2009 23 July d6/4 He teaches salespeople to suggest a ‘sorry gift’..for a wife who might be disappointed that her husband just dropped a sizable sum on his own wrist. b. 1990 3 May 9/8 He'd free 50 precent of his prisoners tomorrow..: ‘I will personally select them, they will sign the sorry book and there will be no appreciable increase in the crime rate.’ 1998 (Nexis) 4 May 17 Many thousands of people..have already signed the ‘Sorry Books’ that are travelling around the country. 2006 (Nexis) 4 Aug. c1 These are the contents of a ‘sorry book’, bound pages meant to capture the condolences of Santa Fe residents for the U.S. bombing of Japan during World War II. 2008 A. Rufus 184 ‘I am very sorry that as a young adult and teacher I did not teach the truth about our aboriginal friends. I am really very sorry,’ wrote a signer in one Sorry Book. 1996 (Nexis) 1 July 5 The group will also call for a national ‘Sorry Day’, similar to Anzac Day, but commemorating the Aboriginal ‘holocaust’. 1997 (Human Rights & Equal Opportunities Comm., Austral.) 292 Nationally, there should be a ‘Sorry Day’ commemorating Aboriginal survival of the holocaust which is accorded the same recognition as ANZAC day. 1998 (Nexis) 27 May 1 The Prime Minister yesterday stood firm in his refusal to make a formal national apology to the Aboriginal ‘stolen generations’, as thousands of Australians attended Sorry Day ceremonies around the country. 2008 G. Evans vii. 166 An example of the symbolic approach is the apology offered to the indigenous people of Australia on behalf of all Australians by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, in a moving address to the parliament on February 13, 2008, following the earlier institution of an annual ‘National Sorry Day’. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2011; most recently modified version published online June 2022). sorryv. Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymon: sorry adj. Etymology: Cognate with or formed similarly to Old Frisian -sērigia (in bisērigia to wound, hurt, injure), Middle Dutch sērigen , zērigen to wound, hurt, injure, to damage, to feel sorrow, grieve, Middle Low German sērigen , sērgen to wound, hurt, injure, to grieve, afflict, Old High German sēragōn , sēregōn to wound, to grieve, afflict (Middle High German sērigen ) < the same Germanic base as sorry adj. In later use probably re-formed directly < sorry adj.; compare sorryful adj.With the late Old English past participle form gesaroged perhaps compare β. forms at sorrow n. and adj. In Old English the following prefixed forms are also attested: besārgian to lament, be sorry for (compare be- prefix), efensārgian to sympathize, commiserate (compare even adj.1 and n.2 Compounds 2a). the mind > emotion > suffering > sorrow or grief > feel sorrow or grief [verb (intransitive)] eOE tr. Bede (Tanner) v. vi. 402 Se biscop hefiglice sargade be ðæm fille & be minre forwyrde; forðon þe he mec mid syndrigre lufan lufode. OE (Corpus Cambr.) xiv. 32 And he nam þa mid him Petrum & Iacobum & Iohannem; þa ongan he forhtian & sargian; & sæde him: unrot is min sawl oð deað. OE tr. Defensor (1969) lxxx. 414 Nemo qui in hoc saeculo non doleat nullus est qui in hac uita positus non suspiret : nænig þe on þyssere worulde na sargige nan ys se on þysum life gesett na orþige. a1325 (?a1300) in G. H. McKnight (1913) 21 (MED) For ye hy sory nicht and day; Y may say hay wayleuay. 1545 R. Ascham i. f. 11v If he complayne, they sory with hym. 1553 T. Wilson f. 71v We rejoyce, we sorie, or we pitie an other mannes happe. 1606 J. Ford sig. G3v We mourne his death and sorry for his sake. 1870 3rd Ser. 452 If..man is naturally inclined to..condemn himself, sorrying in dust and ashes; then it may be of little consequence that the age of satire..has passed away. 1920 W. H. Hudson xii. 229 The aged vicar, sorrying at the loss of the birds. 2004 D. Mitchell (U.K. ed.) 318 Jus' that once I sorried for her. †2. the world > health and disease > ill health > pain > be painful [verb (intransitive)] > suffer pain eOE tr. Bede (Tanner) iv. xxi. 322 Swelce eac seo þruh, in þære heo ærest bebyrged wæs, monegum monna, þe heora eagan sargedon & hefigodon, wearð to hælo. OE (Corpus Cambr.) (2007) 460 Gif on xi, on langum sare he sargað, & he gelomlice his hælo hafoð eft. ?a1200 (?OE) (1896) 25 Eal se swyra sargiað swa swiðe, þæt he þane muþ uneaþe to don mæg. the mind > emotion > suffering > cause of mental pain or suffering > cause mental pain or suffering to [verb (transitive)] eOE (Corpus Cambr. 422) i. 109 Æghwæðer brengeð sweopan of siðe; sargiað hwile fremdne flæschoman, feorh ne bemurneð. eOE (Royal) (1865) ii. xlvi. 258 Gif he þonne biþ ær on þære lifre oþþe on þam lungenum gesargod. OE 970 Grornað gesargad eal middangeard on þa mæran tid. OE tr. Pseudo-Apuleius (Vitell.) (1984) clxxviii. 222 Wið li[þ]a sare, gyf hy of hwylc[um] belimpe oððe of cyle oþ[þe] o[f] ænigum þincge gesarg[a]de [beoð] [?a1200 Harl. 6258B ȝesarȝode beon]. society > morality > virtue > righteousness or rectitude > reform, amendment, or correction > repentance or contrition > repent (sin, wrongdoing, etc.) [verb (transitive)] a1450 (c1410) H. Lovelich li. 41 (MED) Mercy he scholde haue Of his God and he wolde it crave with stedfast herte, and his synnes sory. the mind > possession > supply > provide or supply (something) [verb (transitive)] > provide for the wants or needs of 1601 J. Wheeler 57 That those who are traders may be equally and indifferently cared and soried for. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2011; most recently modified version published online March 2022). <  n.2a1555 adj.int.n.1eOE v.eOE |