Contrite
Contrite adjective - Feeling sorrow for a wrong that one has done.
Usage example: being contrite is not enough to spare you an arrest if you're caught shoplifting
Sorry is a synonym for contrite in regretful topic. In some cases you can use "Sorry" instead an adjective "Contrite", when it comes to topics like remorseful, behaviour, regret. popular alternative
Nearby Words: contrition, contritely
Sorry
Sorry adjective - Feeling sorrow for a wrong that one has done.
Usage example: she's genuinely sorry for hurting his feelings
Contrite is a synonym for sorry in regretful topic. You can use "Contrite" instead an adjective "Sorry", if it concerns topics such as remorseful, behaviour, regret. popular alternative
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
- On the outside he is a Nice Guy, a calm, quiet man, deeply saddened and sorry for what has happened, contrite and ashamed of what he has done.
Source: Series / State of Play
Cite this Source
Sorry and Contrite. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 16, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/contrite/sorry
Contrite & Sorry. N.p., 2016. Web. 16 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/contrite/sorry>.
Sorry or Contrite. 2016. Accessed August 16, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/contrite/sorry.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "contrite" and "sorry" have occurred on timeline