SORROW Synonyms: 147 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'sorrow' different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of sorrow are anguish , grief , regret , and woe . While all these words mean "distress of mind," sorrow implies a sense of loss or a sense of guilt and remorse. // a family united in sorrow upon the patriarch's death

Q: When might 'anguish' be a better fit than 'sorrow'?

While in some cases nearly identical to sorrow , anguish suggests torturing grief or dread. // the anguish felt by the parents of the kidnapped child

Q: When is it sensible to use 'grief' instead of 'sorrow'?

The synonyms grief and sorrow are sometimes interchangeable, but grief implies poignant sorrow for an immediate cause. // the inexpressible grief of the bereaved parents

Q: When would 'regret' be a good substitute for 'sorrow'?

In some situations, the words regret and sorrow are roughly equivalent. However, regret implies pain caused by deep disappointment, fruitless longing, or unavailing remorse. // nagging regret for missed opportunities

Q: When can 'woe' be used instead of 'sorrow'?

The words woe and sorrow can be used in similar contexts, but woe is deep or inconsolable grief or misery. // cries of woe echoed throughout the bombed city

sorrow 1 of 2

verb

Definition of sorrow

as in to grieve

to feel deep sadness or mental pain the soldier's widow continued to sorrow long after her husband's last letter had turned yellow with age

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sorrow

2 of 2

noun

ˈsär-(ˌ)ō

as in grief

deep sadness especially for the loss of someone or something loved he felt great sorrow at the loss of his beloved dog

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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How is the word sorrow different from other nouns like it?

Some common synonyms of sorrow are anguish, grief, regret, and woe. While all these words mean "distress of mind," sorrow implies a sense of loss or a sense of guilt and remorse.

a family united in sorrow upon the patriarch's death

When might anguish be a better fit than sorrow?

While in some cases nearly identical to sorrow, anguish suggests torturing grief or dread.

the anguish felt by the parents of the kidnapped child

When is it sensible to use grief instead of sorrow?

The synonyms grief and sorrow are sometimes interchangeable, but grief implies poignant sorrow for an immediate cause.

the inexpressible grief of the bereaved parents

When would regret be a good substitute for sorrow?

In some situations, the words regret and sorrow are roughly equivalent. However, regret implies pain caused by deep disappointment, fruitless longing, or unavailing remorse.

nagging regret for missed opportunities

When can woe be used instead of sorrow?

The words woe and sorrow can be used in similar contexts, but woe is deep or inconsolable grief or misery.

cries of woe echoed throughout the bombed city

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of sorrow

Verb

While that same sun will always rise in the East and set in the West, the work of these artists affirms that each new day is ours to make anew — no matter what sorrows may lay behind us. — Grant Klarich Johnson, Los Angeles Times, 10 Mar. 2026

Noun

As an investigation into the 18-month-old boy's death continues, the academy's owner shared her sorrow for the grieving parents. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026 Croatia’s World Cup exit was not without a fight, with a last-minute, stoppage time goal that likely had fans screaming at the TV in jubilation, and then in sorrow. — Alex Connor, USA Today, 3 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sorrow

Recent Examples of Synonyms for sorrow

Verb

Sixty years later, young Alma Singer begins searching for the writer of her mother’s favorite book, hoping to bring romance to her grieving parent.

— The Know, Denver Post, 5 July 2026
The movie follows Gugino as a grieving woman who takes in her troubled nephew, but their lives are upended when an otherworldly entity begins hunting him.

— Scott Huver, PEOPLE, 4 July 2026

Definition of grieve

Noun

After learning that her friend Shannon’s mother has died in a car accident, Elle is suddenly facing her first real encounter with grief and, unable to sit with it, throws herself into planning the memorial, down to selecting the music.

— Angelina Mazza, Los Angeles Times, 3 July 2026
This town has known seasons of many stripes, from that autumn of grief after 9/11 to that spring of solitude and trepidation as COVID-19 first emerged.

— ABC News, ABC News, 2 July 2026

Definition of grief

Verb

On Sunday, tens of thousands of men and women gathered in separate sections to mourn Khamenei’s death.

— Marc Smith, NBC news, 6 July 2026
Readers mourned Bill Spoon’s BBQ, which fed generations before shutting during the pandemic in 2020, and Bubba’s Barbecue on Sunset Road, which closed in January 2026 after 40 years of Eastern North Carolina-style ‘cue.

— Melissa Oyler, Charlotte Observer, 6 July 2026

Definition of mourn

Noun

Some mourners, gathering at the funeral of Iran’s slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran on Saturday, expressed both anguish and a desire for vengeance.

— Nadeen Ebrahim, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
And with that decision, the company narrowed the chance that the mother’s anguish could draw attention to any danger the formula might pose to other infants.

— David Hilzenrath, USA Today, 2 July 2026

Definition of anguish

Verb

Symptoms resemble other types of pneumonia and can include fever, chills, muscle aches, and cough.

— Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 4 July 2026
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome causes fatigue, fever, muscle aches, abdominal problems, headaches, chills and dizziness in the early stages, and late symptoms include chest tightness, coughing, shortness of breath and lungs filling with fluid.

— Mary Whitfill Roeloffs, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of ache

Noun

It’s been a long time coming Swift’s music has served as the soundtrack to a generation of adolescent heartbreaks and coming of age crises.

— Zoe Sottile, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Over the course of 12 original studio albums, the 14-time Grammy winner has chronicled heartbreaks and happily-ever-afters that have made her one of the most celebrated songwriters of her generation.

— Jane LaCroix, PEOPLE, 3 July 2026

Definition of heartbreak

Verb

Watching the hearing via Zoom from a prison holding room, Powell wiped his eyes and sighed heavily as Cribbs once again recited the facts of the case before Judge Rachelle Carnesale, explaining when Walton was fatally shot.

— Andy Rose, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
Pino’s supporters sighed and sniffled when the verdict was announced.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 June 2026

Definition of sigh

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sorriness

sorrow

sorrowed

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“Sorrow.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sorrow. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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