Contrite vs. Sorry — What's the Difference?

Feeling regret and sorrow for one's sins or offenses; penitent.

Feeling or expressing sorrow

Arising from or expressing contrition

Feeling or expressing sympathy or pity

Sincerely penitent or feeling regret or sorrow, especially for one’s own actions.

Feeling or expressing regret, especially for a misdeed or mistake

(obsolete) Thoroughly bruised or broken.

Worthless or inferior; paltry

A contrite person; a penitent.

Causing sorrow, grief, or misfortune; grievous

Thoroughly bruised or broken.

Used to express apology.

Broken down with grief and penitence; deeply sorrowful for sin because it is displeasing to God; humbly and thoroughly penitent.

Used to express interrogation, especially as a request for a person to say something again.

A contrite person.

(of a person) Regretful or apologetic for one's actions.

In a contrite manner.

(of a person) Grieved or saddened, especially by the loss of something or someone.

Feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses

Poor, pitifully sad or regrettable.

Feeling regret for a fault or offence

Pathetic; contemptibly inadequate.

The act of saying sorry; an apology.

Grieved for the loss of some good; pained for some evil; feeling regret; - now generally used to express light grief or affliction, but formerly often used to express deeper feeling.

Melancholy; dismal; gloomy; mournful.

Poor; mean; worthless; as, a sorry excuse.

Keenly sorry or regretful;

Feeling or expressing sorrow or pity;

Having regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone;

Feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses

Bad; unfortunate;

Depressing in character or appearance;

Without merit;