1
a
: deep distress, sadness, or regret especially for the loss of someone or something loved
b
: resultant unhappy or unpleasant state
to their great sorrow they could not marry
2
: a cause of grief or sadness
3
: a display of grief or sadness
sorrowed; sorrowing; sorrows
: to feel or express sorrow
Synonyms
Examples of sorrow in a Sentence
Noun
I felt sorrow at the death of my friend.
a life filled with joys and sorrows
She had a secret sorrow.
Verb
a sorrowing mother, grieving over the death of her son
the soldier's widow continued to sorrow long after her husband's last letter had turned yellow with age
Recent Examples on the Web
Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 May 2024
The percussive track simmers in solitary sorrow as the musician dives simultaneously into the darkest depths of his mind and the bottom of a bottle.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024
Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2023
Finney-Smith has become fan favorite in Dallas, so much so that fan reaction on social media was split between excitement and shock that the Mavericks acquired eight-time All-Star Irving, but also sorrow about Finney-Smith departure.
—Dallas News, 6 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for sorrow 
Noun
Lee, the longtime muse of Taiwanese director Tsai Ming-liang, carries Cheung’s yearning and joy, his guilt and sorrow, in a performance that’s all the more gripping for being measured and contained.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 May 2024
The percussive track simmers in solitary sorrow as the musician dives simultaneously into the darkest depths of his mind and the bottom of a bottle.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2024
Verb
The challenge for the author is to write a pulse-pounding thriller without sorrowing over this injustice too much.
—Mark Athitakis, Los Angeles Times, 12 May 2023
Finney-Smith has become fan favorite in Dallas, so much so that fan reaction on social media was split between excitement and shock that the Mavericks acquired eight-time All-Star Irving, but also sorrow about Finney-Smith departure.
—Dallas News, 6 Feb. 2023
See all Example Sentences for sorrow
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'sorrow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near sorrow
Cite this Entry
“Sorrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sorrow. Accessed 7 Jun. 2024.
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