remorse
Americannoun
-
deep and painful regret for wrongdoing; compunction.
- Synonyms:
- contrition
-
Obsolete. pity; compassion.
noun
-
a sense of deep regret and guilt for some misdeed
-
compunction; pity; compassion
Related Words
See regret.
Other Word Forms
- preremorse noun
- remorseful adjective
- remorsefully adverb
- remorsefulness noun
Etymology
Origin of remorse
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English from Middle French remors from Medieval Latin remorsus, past participle of Latin remordēre, “to bite back, vex, nag,” equivalent to Latin re- re- + mordēre “to bite” ( mordant )
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 Jewish community will want to see a genuine remorse and change before believing that the appropriate place to test this sincerity is on the main stage at the Wireless Festival," he said.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
Steyer has repeatedly expressed remorse about his former firm’s ties with the detention company.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026
Wixon still denies she has done anything wrong, and has shown no remorse for her actions, Fletcher said.
From BBC • Mar. 12, 2026
The magistrate presiding over this case said he had decided against jail because of Goreraza's remorse and the fact that he was a first-time offender.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026
Because I’d known how going to see Mamá would turn out, I left Mr. Gee’s without feeling one bit of remorse over not telling her what was going on.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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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.