I. ˈsä(ˌ)rō, -_rə also ˈsȯ-; -_rəw, -_rō+V noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English sorge, sorwe, sorow, from Old English sorg; akin to Old High German sorga care, sorrow, Old Norse sorg, Gothic saurga care, sorrow, Old Irish serg sickness, Old Slavic sraga sickness, Sanskrit sūrkṣati he is concerned about something
1.
a. : uneasiness or anguish due to loss (as of something loved or familiar) : unhappiness , sadness
sorrow at the loss of a friend
b. : a cause of grief or sadness : harm , damage
the great sorrow of a conflagration
transgressions that were ultimately a permanent sorrow
2. : contrition at having done or caused evil : penitence
3. : a display of grief or sadness : lamentation
uneasy in the presence of family sorrow
4.
a. chiefly Irish & Scotland
(1) : mischief , misfortune
(2) — used as an emphatic negative; often preceded by the
the sorrow a word or sign out of them — Seumas O'Kelly
b. chiefly Scotland : pest , rascal
Synonyms:
grief , heartache , anguish , woe , dole , regret : sorrow is the most general of these terms, implying a sense of loss or of guilt
the widespread sorrow that his death aroused — Douglas Cleverdon
anguish that wept aloud; misery that could find no voice; sorrow that was dumb — Oscar Wilde
grief is poignant or extended sorrow
immune to grief, even at the death of a loved one
heartache is usually an all-embracing hidden sorrow springing from disappointment or loss, as of hope or love
the heartache of war, signalized in defeat and death
reach fame and success after many years of poverty and heartache
the heartache of unrequited love
anguish is usually excruciating or torturing grief or dread
nothing but despair and anguish written in every line of Susanna's slim figure — Gerald Beaumont
the anguish of intense fear
woe is deep or inconsolable misery induced by grief or anguish
the suffering people whose woes he has not alleviated — W.P.Webb
one builds a tight fence around the misfortune, and within that minute enclosure, one sits intent upon one's woe — H.A.Overstreet
bowed now in his woe — Agnes S. Turnbull
dole is woe given vent to in weeping, moaning, or wailing
giving way to inconsolable, tearful dole
regret implies a sorrow usually not outwardly manifest and may designate pain of mind or spiritual anguish induced by disappointment, lost opportunity, or heartache, and ranging in intensity from the mildest of momentary unhappiness at an invitation declined to intense pangs of remorse for a wrong done, though usually signifying only the lighter, less intense feelings
intense regret for lost opportunities
his bitter regrets for past happiness — T.S.Eliot
in moments of regret we recognize that some of our judgments have been mistaken — M.R.Cohen
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English sorgen, sorwen, sorowen, from Old English sorgian; akin to Old Saxon sorgon to care, grieve, sorrow, Old High German sorgēn, Gothic saurgan to care, grieve, saurga, n.
intransitive verb
1. : to feel sorrow : grieve
sorrow over the death of a relative
2. : to express grief : lament
stung to the soul he sorrowed, and he raged — Alexander Pope
transitive verb
: mourn , lament
Synonyms: see grieve