noun

sorrow

SO-roh

noun

Deep sadness, especially over a loss.

"Her sorrow was clear on her face at the funeral."

"He never fully recovered from the sorrow of losing his son."

verb

To feel or express deep sadness; to grieve.

"The whole village sorrowed over the loss of their beloved teacher."

How to Use Sorrow

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDeep, often lasting sadness — heavier and more formal than "sadness."

Common mistake

Not related to "sorry" or "sore" despite looking alike — a coincidence of English spelling.

When to use it

A somewhat literary or formal word; everyday speech usually says "sadness" or "grief" instead.

Common pairings

deep sorrow a time of sorrow tears of sorrow

sorrowed past tense, sorrows plural, Sorrows plural, sorrows singular

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Her _____ was clear on her face at the funeral.

From Old English sorg ("care, grief"). Despite the resemblance, it is not historically related to "sorry" or "sore."

borrow morrow tomorrow