Sor"ry (?), a. [Compar. Sorrier (?); superl. Sorriest.] [OE. sory, sary, AS. sarig, fr. sar, n., sore. See Sore, n. & a. The original sense was, painful; hence. miserable, sad.]
1.
Grieved for the loss of some good; pained for some evil; feeling regret; -- now generally used to express light grief or affliction, but formerly often used to express deeper feeling.
"I am
sorry for my sins."
Piers Plowman.
Ye were made sorry after a godly manner.
2 Cor. vii. 9.
I am sorry for thee, friend; 't is the duke's pleasure.
Shak.
She entered, were he lief or sorry.
Spenser.
2.
Melancholy; dismal; gloomy; mournful.
Spenser.
All full of chirking was this sorry place.
Chaucer.
3.
Poor; mean; worthless; as, a sorry excuse.
"With
sorry grace."
Chaucer.
Cheeks of sorry grain will serve.
Milton.
Good fruit will sometimes grow on a sorry tree.
Sir W. Scott.
Syn. -- Hurt; afflicted; mortified; vexed; chagrined; melancholy; dismal; poor; mean; pitiful.
© Webster 1913.