sorrow
Americannoun
-
distress caused by loss, affliction, disappointment, etc.; grief, sadness, or regret.
-
a cause or occasion of grief or regret, as an affliction, a misfortune, or trouble.
His first sorrow was the bank failure.
- Synonyms:
- adversity
-
the expression of grief, sadness, disappointment, or the like.
muffled sorrow.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
the characteristic feeling of sadness, grief, or regret associated with loss, bereavement, sympathy for another's suffering, for an injury done, etc
-
a particular cause or source of regret, grief, etc
-
Also called: sorrowing. the outward expression of grief or sadness
verb
Synonym Usage
Sorrow, distress, grief, misery, woe imply bitter suffering, especially as caused by loss or misfortune. Sorrow is the most general term. Grief is keen suffering, especially for a particular reason. Distress implies anxiety, anguish, or acute suffering caused by the pressure of trouble or adversity. Misery suggests such great and unremitting pain or wretchedness of body or mind as crushes the spirit. Woe is deep or inconsolable grief or misery.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
unsorrowingadjective
-
sorrowlessadjective
-
sorrowfulnessnoun
-
sorrowfuladjective
-
sorrowernoun
-
sorrowfullyadverb
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
has sorrowedperfect 3rd person singular
-
have sorrowedperfect
-
sorrowingparticiple
-
are sorrowingprogressive
-
sorrowssingular 3rd person
-
have been sorrowingperfect progressive
-
am sorrowingprogressive 1st person singular
-
is sorrowingprogressive 3rd person singular
-
has been sorrowingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
Past
-
had sorrowedperfect
-
were sorrowingprogressive plural
-
sorrowedparticiple
-
was sorrowingprogressive singular
-
had been sorrowingperfect progressive
-
sorrowedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of sorrow
First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English sorg; cognate with German Sorge, Dutch zorg, Old Norse sorg, Gothic saurga; (verb) Middle English sorwen, Old English sorgian; cognate with Old High German sorgôn
Explanation
Sorrow is a feeling of immense sadness, like the sorrow you would feel if your best friend suddenly moved across the country. Sorrow is an almost unbearable sadness. In fact, it is often used as a synonym for grief. If you drop a pretty picture frame and it breaks, you might feel sad. If, on the other hand, your entire house — including that picture frame — burns to the ground, you will feel sorrow at the loss of everything, including the photographs and other mementos you can never replace.
Vocabulary lists containing sorrow
"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Emotions on Display
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Words inspired by "Inside Out"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
And accepting that joyful sorrow and sorrowful joy are the double helix of parental DNA takes time.
From Salon • Jun. 4, 2026
Balancing sorrow with self-deprecation, Maron covers childhood abuse, his father’s dementia, evacuating his home with three cats during the L.A. fires and becoming the unlikeliest of Swifties.
From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026
In April 1775, when news of the fighting at Lexington and Concord reached Washington, he spoke with pride and sorrow about the courage of the Massachusetts militia.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 22, 2026
Also speaking before the win, King said she appreciated the balance Taiwan Travelogue struck between the sorrow and joys of Taiwanese people under Japanese control.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
Apollo himself inscribed the petals—some say with Hyacinth’s initial, and others with the two letters of the Greek word that means “Alas”; either way, a memorial of the god’s great sorrow.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
