Picking a sorry synonym starts with who is hurting: if you caused the problem, apologetic, regretful and remorseful fit; if someone else is grieving, sympathetic or saddened fit better. A third, quite different sense exists too: a sorry state means a poor, sad condition.
Because sorry is often said aloud, many replacements are full phrases such as my apologies or forgive me. Below, every sense comes with another word for sorry, plus notes on how deep each one sounds and on the opposite of sorry when you mean you have no regrets.
Swatch at a glance
Best swaps
apologetic, regretful, remorseful, sympatheticPart of speech
Adjective (also used alone as an interjection)Most formal
contrite, penitent, I sincerely apologizeMost casual
my bad, oops, sorry about thatDeepest
remorseful, contrite, heartbrokenOpposite
unapologetic, unrepentant, gladWatch out
Ashamed means you feel disgraced. It is far stronger than sorry for a late reply.
Sorry synonym table: three senses compared
| Sense | Swaps | Use it like this |
|---|---|---|
| You did something wrong | apologetic, regretful, remorseful, contrite | He was apologetic about the mix-up. |
| You feel for someone | sympathetic, saddened, compassionate | We were saddened to hear the news. |
| Something looks poor | pitiful, wretched, shabby, dismal | The garden was in a shabby state. |
Emotion vocabulary beyond apology fills our feelings and emotions hub.
How deep does the apology go?
Read the chips from light to deep. My bad is a shrug among friends, fine for a spilled drink. Apologetic describes someone who says sorry and means it. Regretful adds wishing you had acted differently; compare the regret synonyms page. Remorseful points to real guilt over harm. Contrite is formal and suggests a person who has owned the mistake and wants to make amends.
Matching depth to the mistake matters. Being contrite over a typo looks theatrical, and my bad after a serious error looks careless. For heavy feelings of blame, see guilt synonyms.
Swaps in messages and speech
- Sorry for the delay becomes apologies for the delay or thanks for waiting on me.
- I am so sorry I forgot becomes I feel terrible that I forgot.
- I am sorry for your loss becomes my deepest sympathy or I was so saddened to hear.
- Sorry, can I get past? becomes excuse me, can I get past?
- Sorry, what did you say? becomes pardon? or could you repeat that?
- The old shed looked sorry becomes the old shed looked pitiful.
A customer email opens: "Sorry, sorry, we are really sorry about your order." Too many sorries can sound nervous. A calmer version: "We apologize for the mistake with your order. A replacement ships today." One clear apology plus a fix reads as more sincere.
Polite stand-ins for work and formal letters
In a work email, I apologize or please accept my apologies is cleaner than a string of sorries. For small slips, many writers skip the apology and thank the reader instead: thanks for bearing with me.
When writing a condolence card, choose sympathy words rather than apology words. With heartfelt sympathy and thinking of you both read as warm without suggesting you caused the loss.
Sorry is also short for I did not hear you. Here pardon, excuse me or sorry, come again (casual) do the job.
Opposite of sorry: no regrets
The opposite of sorry depends on the sense. If someone feels no guilt, call them unapologetic, unrepentant or the harsher remorseless. If the feeling is about news, the opposite is glad or pleased: I am glad you came, rather than sorry you missed it.
- She was unapologetic about speaking up.
- The court described him as unrepentant.
Unapologetic can be a compliment (unapologetically herself), while remorseless is never kind.
Near misses that send the wrong signal
Ashamed and embarrassed are not the same as sorry. Embarrassed is about how you look to others; you can be embarrassed without having hurt anyone. Pitiful works only for the sorry state sense; calling an apologizing friend pitiful is an insult. Sad fits sympathy (I am sad to hear that) but does not admit fault.
For a broader list of low mood words, browse sad synonyms.
Frequently asked questions
How do I apologize formally instead of saying sorry?
Use I apologize, please accept my apologies, or I sincerely regret the error. Follow it with what you will do to fix the problem.
Is contrite stronger than apologetic?
Yes. Contrite suggests deep, sincere regret and a wish to make things right. Apologetic can describe a quick, light apology.
What is the opposite of sorry?
For guilt, the opposite is unapologetic or unrepentant. For feelings about news, glad or pleased is the natural opposite.
What can I say besides sorry for your loss?
Try my deepest sympathy, I am thinking of you, or I was so saddened to hear about your mother. Adding a short memory of the person makes it personal.
Does my bad sound rude?
It is very casual. Among friends it is fine for small slips, but in work email or a serious situation it can sound dismissive.
What does a sorry excuse mean?
Here sorry means poor or weak. A sorry excuse is a feeble one, so swaps include lame, flimsy or pitiful.