sorry
(adjective)
LISTEN
I'm sorry that you're sad.
If someone is sorry, it means that they did something wrong but now they regret it or want to be polite.
- I’m sorry I didn’t go to your party.
- Sorry about that!
We can use sorry when we feel sad about something that happened to someone.
- I’m sorry to hear that your wife is ill.
We also use sorry when someone asks us to do something or to give them something and we can’t.
- "Do you have a cigarette?" "No, sorry. I don't smoke."
Don't confuse it with
We say excuse me when we don’t know someone but we want their attention. For example, “Excuse me, you forgot your hat!”
Common uses
When someone tells us about something very bad that happened to them, we often say “I’m sorry to hear that.”
In pop culture
Do you know the Justin Bieber song “Sorry”? In the chorus, he sings, “Is it too late now to say sorry?” The song is about a man who regrets his actions in his romantic relationship.
Sorry has other meanings.
Word of the Day is released Monday through Friday.
