Synonyms: grief, sadness, woe, regret More Synonyms of sorrow
More Synonyms of sorrow
sorrow in British English
(ˈsɒrəʊ)
noun
1.
the characteristic feeling of sadness, grief, or regret associated with loss, bereavement, sympathy for another's suffering, for an injury done, etc
2.
a particular cause or source of regret, grief, etc
3. Also called: sorrowing
the outward expression of grief or sadness
verb
4. (intransitive)
to mourn or grieve
Derived forms
sorrower (ˈsorrower)
noun
sorrowful (ˈsorrowful)
adjective
sorrowfully (ˈsorrowfully)
adverb
sorrowfulness (ˈsorrowfulness)
noun
Word origin
Old English sorg; related to Old Norse sorg, Gothic saurga, Old High German sworga
sorrow in American English
(ˈsɑroʊ; ˈsɔroʊ)
noun
1.
mental suffering caused by loss, disappointment, etc.; sadness, grief, or regret
2.
that which produces such suffering; trouble, loss, affliction, etc.
3.
the outward expression of such suffering; mourning; lamentation
4.
earnest repentance; contrition
sorrow for sin
verb intransitive
5.
to feel or show sorrow; grieve
Derived forms
sorrower (ˈsorrower)
noun
Word origin
ME sorwe < OE sorg, akin to Ger sorge < IE base *swergh-, to worry, be ill > Sans sūrkṣati, he worries about, Lith sergù, to be sick
Examples of 'sorrow' in a sentence
sorrow
Should we be more willing to share loss and sorrow with them?
Carpenter, Anne & Johnson, Geoffrey Why am I Afraid to Grieve (1994)
There is a great deal of sorrow in the world.
Elizabeth Gaskell Wives and Daughters (1864)
But all my sorrow and regret could not put my marriage or my family together again.
Christianity Today (2000)
My deepest sorrow and thoughts are with his family at this time.
The Sun (2012)
Their first thought was not one of sorrow and sympathy.
The Sun (2006)
It is wonderful that from so much sorrow such happiness could come.
Travers, P L What the Bee Knows - reflections on myth, symbol and story (1989)
It was a great sorrow to him that he had none of his own.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In the hidden reaches where memory probes are sorrows too deep to fathom.
Amanda Mackenzie Stuart Consuelo & Alva: Love and Power in the Gilded Age (2005)
His parents have talked to him about healthy eating and expressed sorrow and anger at his stealing to no avail.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
So take care of them while they are there and avoid the sorrow and regret you will have when they are gone.
The Sun (2012)
I live alone with terrible feelings of loss and sorrow.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
She discovered that humour was the most effective way both of dealing with her husband's suffering and her sorrow at his death.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
We meet beneath the dripping bridge, soot, fear and sorrow on each ledge.
The Times Literary Supplement (2012)
But you don't live life and not know heartache, sorrow and fear.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Quotations
There is no greater sorrow than to recall a time of happiness in miseryDanteDivine Comedy
Into each life some rain must fallHenry Wadsworth Longfellow
Sorrow makes us wiseAlfred TennysonIn Memoriam
Sorrow is tranquillity remembered in emotionDorothy ParkerHere Lies
In other languages
sorrow
British English: sorrow NOUN
Sorrow is a feeling of deep sadness or regret.
It was a time of great sorrow.
American English: sorrow
Brazilian Portuguese: tristeza
Chinese: 悲伤
European Spanish: pena
French: peine
German: Trauer
Italian: dolore
Japanese: 悲しみ
Korean: 슬픔
European Portuguese: tristeza
Latin American Spanish: pena
Chinese translation of 'sorrow'
sorrow
(ˈsɔrəu)
n(c)
悲伤(傷) (bēishāng)
Derived Forms
sorrowsn pl烦(煩)恼(惱) (fánnǎo)
1 (noun)
Definition
deep sadness or regret, associated with death or sympathy for another's misfortune
It was a time of great sorrow.
Synonyms
grief
Their grief soon gave way to anger.
sadness
It is with a mixture of sadness and joy that I say farewell.
woe
He listened to my tale of woe.
regret
He expressed great regret.
distress
Her mouth grew stiff with pain and distress.
misery
All that money brought nothing but misery.
mourning
anguish
A cry of anguish burst from her lips.
unhappiness
There was a lot of unhappiness in my adolescence.
heartache
He had been the cause of so much heartache.
heartbreak
suffering and heartbreak for those close to the victims
affliction
Opposites
joy
,
happiness
,
delight
,
pleasure
,
bliss
,
elation
,
exaltation
,
exultation
,
gladness
2 (noun)
Definition
a particular cause of this
the joys and sorrows of family life
Synonyms
hardship
Many people are suffering economic hardship.
trial
the trials of adolescence
tribulation
the trials and tribulations of everyday life
affliction
Hay fever is an affliction that arrives at an early age.
worry
His last years were overshadowed by financial worry.
trouble
She tells me her troubles. I tell her mine.
blow
The ruling comes as a blow to environmentalists.
grief
woe
He did not tell his friends about all his woes.
misfortune
He had had his full share of misfortunes.
bummer (slang)
Opposites
good fortune
,
lucky break
(verb)
Definition
to feel deep sadness (about death or another's misfortunes)
She was lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and acquaintances.
Synonyms
grieve
He's grieving over his dead wife and son.
mourn
We mourned the loss of our cities.
lament
It was traditional to lament deaths with a procession and a banquet.
weep
She began to weep, tears running down her face.
moan
`My head, my head,' she moaned.
be sad
bemoan
She continually bemoans her lot in life.
agonize
eat your heart out
bewail
All your songs seem to bewail a dissatisfaction in love.
Opposites
celebrate
,
rejoice
,
exult
,
delight
,
revel
,
jump for joy
,
large it (British, slang)
Quotations
There is no greater sorrow than to recall a time of happiness in misery [Dante – Divine Comedy]Into each life some rain must fall [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]Sorrow makes us wise [Alfred Tennyson – In Memoriam]Sorrow is tranquillity remembered in emotion [Dorothy Parker – Here Lies]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of affliction
Definition
something that causes physical or mental suffering
Hay fever is an affliction that arrives at an early age.
Synonyms
misfortune,
suffering,
trouble,
trial,
disease,
pain,
distress,
grief,
misery,
plague (informal),
curse,
ordeal,
sickness,
torment,
hardship,
sorrow,
woe,
adversity,
calamity,
scourge,
tribulation,
wretchedness
in the sense of anguish
Definition
great mental pain
A cry of anguish burst from her lips.
Synonyms
suffering,
pain,
torture,
distress,
grief,
misery,
agony,
torment,
sorrow,
woe,
heartache,
heartbreak,
pang,
throe
in the sense of bemoan
Definition
to lament
She continually bemoans her lot in life.
Synonyms
lament,
regret,
complain about,
rue (literary),
deplore,
grieve for,
weep for,
bewail,
cry over spilt milk,
express sorrow about,
moan over
Synonyms of 'sorrow'
sorrow
Explore 'sorrow' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bewail
Definition
to express great sorrow over
All your songs seem to bewail a dissatisfaction in love.
Synonyms
lament,
regret,
complain about,
moan about,
mourn,
rue (literary),
wail about,
deplore,
bemoan,
repent,
grieve for,
cry over,
weep over,
express sorrow for
in the sense of blow
Definition
a sudden setback
The ruling comes as a blow to environmentalists.
Synonyms
setback,
shock,
upset,
disaster,
reverse,
disappointment,
catastrophe,
misfortune,
jolt,
bombshell,
calamity,
affliction,
whammy (informal),
choker (informal),
sucker punch,
bummer (slang),
bolt from the blue,
comedown (informal)
in the sense of distress
Definition
great physical pain
Her mouth grew stiff with pain and distress.
Synonyms
suffering,
pain,
worry,
anxiety,
torture,
grief,
misery,
agony,
sadness,
discomfort,
torment,
sorrow,
woe,
anguish,
heartache,
affliction,
desolation,
wretchedness
in the sense of heartache
Definition
very great sadness and emotional suffering
He had been the cause of so much heartache.
Synonyms
sorrow,
suffering,
pain,
torture,
distress,
despair,
grief,
agony,
torment,
bitterness,
anguish,
remorse,
heartbreak,
affliction,
heartsickness
in the sense of heartbreak
Definition
intense and overwhelming grief, esp. after the end of a love affair
suffering and heartbreak for those close to the victims
Synonyms
grief,
suffering,
pain,
despair,
misery,
sorrow,
anguish,
desolation
in the sense of lament
Definition
to feel or express sorrow or regret (for or over)
It was traditional to lament deaths with a procession and a banquet.
Synonyms
bemoan,
grieve,
mourn,
weep over,
complain about,
regret,
wail about,
deplore,
bewail
in the sense of misery
Definition
intense unhappiness or suffering
All that money brought nothing but misery.
Synonyms
unhappiness,
distress,
despair,
grief,
suffering,
depression,
torture,
agony,
gloom,
sadness,
discomfort,
torment,
hardship,
sorrow,
woe,
anguish,
melancholy,
desolation,
wretchedness
in the sense of misfortune
Definition
an unfortunate event
He had had his full share of misfortunes.
Synonyms
mishap,
loss,
trouble,
trial,
blow,
failure,
accident,
disaster,
reverse,
tragedy,
harm,
misery,
setback,
hardship,
calamity,
affliction,
tribulation,
whammy (informal),
misadventure,
bummer (slang),
mischance,
stroke of bad luck,
evil chance
in the sense of moan
Definition
to make a low cry of, or talk in a way suggesting, pain or suffering
`My head, my head,' she moaned.
Synonyms
groan,
sigh,
sob,
whine,
keen,
lament,
deplore,
bemoan,
bewail
in the sense of mourn
Definition
to feel or express sadness for the death or loss of someone or something
We mourned the loss of our cities.
Synonyms
bemoan,
rue (literary),
deplore,
bewail
Additional synonyms
in the sense of regret
Definition
a feeling of repentance, guilt, or sorrow
He expressed great regret.
Synonyms
sorrow,
disappointment,
grief,
sadness,
unhappiness,
lamentation,
dejection
in the sense of sadness
It is with a mixture of sadness and joy that I say farewell.
Synonyms
unhappiness,
sorrow,
grief,
tragedy,
depression,
the blues,
misery,
melancholy,
poignancy,
despondency,
bleakness,
heavy heart,
dejection,
wretchedness,
gloominess,
mournfulness,
dolour (poetic),
dolefulness,
cheerlessness,
sorrowfulness
in the sense of trial
the trials of adolescence
Synonyms
hardship,
suffering,
trouble,
pain,
load,
burden,
distress,
grief,
misery,
ordeal,
hard times,
woe,
unhappiness,
adversity,
affliction,
tribulation,
wretchedness,
vexation,
cross to bear
in the sense of tribulation
Definition
great distress
the trials and tribulations of everyday life
Synonyms
trouble,
care,
suffering,
worry,
trial,
blow,
pain,
burden,
distress,
grief,
misery,
curse,
ordeal,
hardship,
sorrow,
woe,
hassle (informal),
misfortune,
bad luck,
unhappiness,
heartache,
adversity,
affliction,
bummer (slang),
wretchedness,
vexation,
ill fortune,
cross to bear
in the sense of trouble
Definition
a cause of distress, disturbance, or pain
She tells me her troubles. I tell her mine.
Synonyms
distress,
problem,
suffering,
worry,
pain,
anxiety,
grief,
torment,
hardship,
sorrow,
woe,
irritation,
hassle (informal),
misfortune,
heartache,
disquiet,
annoyance,
agitation,
tribulation,
bummer (slang),
vexation
in the sense of unhappiness
There was a lot of unhappiness in my adolescence.
Synonyms
sadness,
depression,
misery,
gloom,
sorrow,
melancholy,
heartache,
despondency,
blues,
dejection,
wretchedness,
low spirits
in the sense of weep
Definition
to shed tears
She began to weep, tears running down her face.
Synonyms
cry,
shed tears,
sob,
whimper,
complain,
keen,
greet (Scottish),
moan,
mourn,
grieve,
lament,
whinge (informal),
blubber,
snivel,
ululate,
blub (slang),
boohoo
in the sense of woe
Definition
intense grief
He listened to my tale of woe.
Synonyms
misery,
suffering,
trouble,
pain,
disaster,
depression,
distress,
grief,
agony,
gloom,
sadness,
hardship,
sorrow,
anguish,
misfortune,
unhappiness,
heartache,
heartbreak,
adversity,
dejection,
wretchedness
in the sense of woe
Definition
misfortunes or problems
He did not tell his friends about all his woes.
Synonyms
problem,
trouble,
trial,
burden,
grief,
misery,
curse,
hardship,
sorrow,
misfortune,
heartache,
heartbreak,
affliction,
tribulation
in the sense of worry
Definition
a state or feeling of anxiety
His last years were overshadowed by financial worry.