sorrow
gb/sˈɑɹoʊ/ us/sˈɑɹoʊ/
B1
English
~ 1500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
state
1
Deep sadness or distress
A strong feeling of sadness, usually because something bad happened.
Usage pattern:
feel [sorrow] over [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sorrow' with 'sorry'. 'Sorrow' is a noun meaning sadness, while 'sorry' is usually an adjective used to apologize or show sympathy.
Synonyms
grief (Often used for sadness due to death; slightly more intense and formal.)
|
sadness (More general and less intense than 'sorrow'.)
Antonyms
joy (Represents a feeling of great happiness, the emotional opposite of sorrow.)
|
happiness (A general state of positive emotion, contrasting with sorrow's negative emotion.)
Collocations
deep sorrow
|great sorrow
|express sorrow
|feel sorrow
|sorrow and pain
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|life events
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She felt great sorrow after the loss of her beloved pet.
- The news of the accident filled him with deep sorrow.
- His face showed the sorrow he was trying to hide.
- They shared their sorrow with friends who understood.
- Her sorrow was evident in the way she spoke.
Learner examples
- I feel sorrow when I think about my old home.
- She had sorrow in her eyes.
- He spoke with sorrow in his voice.
- The film is full of love and sorrow.
- They have much sorrow after the storm.
Verb
literary
C1
action
2
To feel or express sadness
To feel very sad about something that happened.
Usage pattern:
to sorrow over [something]
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that 'sorrow' as a verb is rare and mainly used in literary contexts; in daily speech, 'be sad' or 'mourn' is more common.
Synonyms
mourn (Usually used for grieving after death; more common than 'sorrow' as a verb.)
Antonyms
rejoice (To feel great joy or happiness, the opposite emotional reaction to sorrow.)
Collocations
sorrow over
|sorrow for
Themes
emotions
|literature
|communication
Examples
- They sorrowed over the loss of their homeland.
- She does not openly sorrow but keeps her feelings inside.
- We will sorrow for what has been lost.
Learner examples
- They sorrow over the lost chance.
- She sorrows for her friend.
- He sorrows after the bad news.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sorrow
IPA
GB/sˈɑɹoʊ/
US/sˈɑɹoʊ/
Syllables & stress
sor - row (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (sor)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sorrow
- Plural: sorrow, sorrows
Verb
- Base: sorrow
- 3rd Person Singular: sorrows
- Present Participle: sorrowing
- Past: sorrowed
Word family
Expressions
in sorrow
1/ˈɪn sˈɑɹoʊ/
fixed phrase
While feeling deep sadness
Feeling very sad because something bad happened.
Examples
- He sat alone in sorrow after hearing the news.
- They parted in sorrow, knowing they might never meet again.
sorrow and joy
1/sˈɑɹoʊ ˈænd d͡ʒˈɔɪ/
fixed phrase
Sadness and happiness together
When life has both happy and sad events at the same time.
Examples
- Their wedding was a day of both sorrow and joy.
- Life is full of both sorrow and joy.
to one's sorrow
1/tə wˈʌnz sˈɑɹoʊ/
fixed phrase
Experiencing personal sadness or regret
Used to say that something made you personally feel sad or unhappy.
Examples
- To my sorrow, I never had the chance to say goodbye.
- He learned, to his sorrow, that trust can be broken.