contrite
caused by or showing sincere remorse.
filled with a sense of guilt and the desire for atonement; penitent: a contrite sinner.
Origin of contrite
1Other words for contrite
Other words from contrite
- con·trite·ly, adverb
- con·trite·ness, noun
- o·ver·con·trite, adjective
- o·ver·con·trite·ly, adverb
- o·ver·con·trite·ness, noun
- un·con·trite, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use contrite in a sentence
What could he do but kiss her quivering lips and smile at the whimsical way in which she expressed her contriteness?
Dorothy's Travels | Evelyn Raymond"Oh, I hope I ain't been too familiar," he added, with sudden contriteness.
The Indiscreet Letter | Eleanor Hallowell Abbott(Worship God in spirit and with the contriteness of thy spirit).
When he had caught up with her, his contriteness was such that she was willing to believe he had not meant to insult her.
A Modern Chronicle, Complete | Winston ChurchillBut, instead of saying that, he stood looking at me, with a tragically humble sort of contriteness.
The Prairie Mother | Arthur Stringer
British Dictionary definitions for contrite
/ (kənˈtraɪt, ˈkɒntraɪt) /
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
Origin of contrite
1Derived forms of contrite
- contritely, adverb
- contriteness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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