contrite
Americanadjective
-
caused by or showing sincere remorse.
-
filled with a sense of guilt and the desire for atonement; penitent.
a contrite sinner.
- Synonyms:
- repentant, remorseful, rueful
adjective
-
full of guilt or regret; remorseful
-
arising from a sense of shame or guilt
contrite promises
-
theol remorseful for past sin and resolved to avoid future sin
Other Word Forms
- contritely adverb
- contriteness noun
- overcontrite adjective
- overcontritely adverb
- overcontriteness noun
- uncontrite adjective
Etymology
Origin of contrite
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English contrit, from Anglo-French, from Latin contrītus “worn down, crushed,” past participle of conterere “to wear down, crush, crumble”; equivalent to con- + trite
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.
The report drawn up for the meeting says the church should "adopt a posture of a broken and contrite heart".
From BBC
But he had a starring role in the opening ceremony of the competition on Wednesday night, standing contrite before the assembled grinning beauty queens where he offered an apology.
From Barron's
AMMAN, Jordan — The message was contrite but direct.
From Los Angeles Times
In the second season, which is on right now, I'm a little more contrite.
From Salon
But in the recent hearings for her appeal against the sentence she has been more contrite.
From BBC
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.
