penitent
gb/pˈɛnɪtɪnt/ us/pˈɛnɪtɪnt/
C1
English
~ 10000
bűnbánó, gyónó
C1
FORMAL
1
bűnbánó
C1
Usage pattern:
[someone] is penitent (about/for [something])
He appeared genuinely penitent as he apologized to the victims.
Miközben bocsánatot kért az áldozatoktól, őszintén bűnbánónak tűnt.
The judge showed some mercy because the defendant was clearly penitent.
A bíró némi irgalmat tanúsított, mert a vádlott szemmel láthatóan bűnbánó volt.
She wrote a long, penitent letter asking for her friend's forgiveness.
His penitent tone suggested he finally understood how much he had hurt them.
Not all of the officials seemed penitent for their role in the scandal.
Learner examples
He is truly penitent for his mistake.
Őszintén bűnbánó a hibája miatt.
She looked penitent and said she was sorry.
Bűnbánónak látszott, és azt mondta, sajnálja.
The boy was penitent after breaking the window.
The manager sounded penitent on the phone.
They are penitent and want to change their behavior.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'penitent' with 'penal' or 'penalty' because they all relate to punishment. However, 'penitent' describes a feeling of regret inside a person, not an external punishment. Another mistake is to use it for small, casual apologies (e.g., dropping a spoon); in modern English, 'penitent' usually suggests serious moral or emotional regret, not minor accidents.
Meaning
feeling or showing deep regret
Collocations
penitent look
|penitent expression
|penitent smile
|truly penitent
|seem penitent
|sound penitent
Synonyms
remorseful (Stresses painful guilt and regret; slightly more common in everyday use.)
|
repentant (Very close in meaning; often used in religious or moral contexts like 'repentant sinner'.)
|
contrite (More literary/formal; suggests deep, often humble sorrow.)
|
sorry (Much more common and general; can be weaker and used for small problems or apologies.)
Antonyms
unrepentant (Describes someone who does not feel sorry or guilty and does not want to change.)
|
defiant (Shows open resistance instead of regret; emotionally opposite attitude to being penitent.)
Themes
emotions
|morality
|religion
|core_vocabulary
Definition
Feeling very sorry for something bad you did and wanting to change.
Feeling or showing sincere regret and a desire to make amends for having done something wrong, especially a moral or religious wrong.
NOUN
C2
FORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
a/the penitent [verb]
The priest spent hours listening to each penitent in the confessional.
A pap órákon át hallgatta minden egyes gyónót a gyóntatószékben.
As the penitent left the church, she said she finally felt at peace.
Amikor a gyónó elhagyta a templomot, azt mondta, végre békére lelt.
The chapel was quiet except for the soft voices of penitents seeking forgiveness.
The minister encouraged the penitent to make amends to those he had harmed.
Long lines of penitents waited outside the cathedral on Good Friday.
Learner examples
The penitent knelt in front of the priest.
A gyónó letérdelt a pap előtt.
Each penitent told the priest about their sins.
Minden gyónó elmondta a papnak a bűneit.
The church was full of penitents on that day.
The priest spoke gently to the penitent.
The penitent asked God for forgiveness.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'a penitent' is any person who was punished, but it actually describes someone who feels sorry, not the punishment itself. It is also easy to confuse the noun and adjective forms; 'a penitent' is a person, while 'penitent' before a noun (e.g., 'a penitent man') is an adjective describing that person.
Meaning
person who is deeply sorry
Collocations
the penitent knelt
|absolve the penitent
|penitent at the altar
|listen to the penitent
|line of penitents
Synonyms
repentant person (Direct descriptive phrase; more transparent for learners but less common as a fixed noun.)
|
sinner (Focuses on the fact that the person did wrong, not necessarily that they now feel sorry.)
Antonyms
unrepentant sinner (Emphasizes someone who has done wrong but does not feel sorry or seek forgiveness.)
Themes
religion
|morality
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A person who feels very sorry for bad things they did and often asks for forgiveness, especially in a religious way.
A person who feels sincere regret for having done something wrong and often seeks forgiveness or religious absolution, especially someone confessing sins to a priest.
Grammar
Dictionary form
penitent
IPA
GB/pˈɛnɪtɪnt/
US/pˈɛnɪtɪnt/
Syllables & stress
pen - it - ent (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (pen)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: penitent
Noun
- Base: penitent
- Plural: penitents
Word family
Forms
penitents
noun
Core family
penitence
noun
penitently
adverb
Related words
penance
noun B2
Negative and opposite forms
impenitent
adjective
impenitence
noun
Advanced or less common
penitential
adjective
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.