contrite

contrite
adjective
con·;trite k;n-;tr;t  also ;k;n-;tr;t
Synonyms of contrite
: feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for improper or objectionable behavior, actions, etc.
a contrite criminal
a contrite apology
I have a sense now of his feeling somewhat contrite, or perhaps only abashed.
—Renata Adler
Ford executives had hoped their efficient, well-publicized recall efforts and contrite approach to customers would enable them to put the tire crisis behind them.
—Cathy Booth Thomas
contritely adverb
"I'm sorry," he said contritely.
contriteness noun


Did you know?
Props to Elton John: sorry really does seem to be the hardest word. But saying it (in something other than a nonapology, of course) is an important part of being contrite—that is, feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for one’s bad behavior. Contrite traces back to the Latin verb conterere, meaning “to pound to pieces,” “to crush, “to wear out or down,” or “to exhaust mentally or physically.” In Medieval Latin—the Latin used in Medieval times especially for religious or literary purposes—conterere came to mean “to crush in spirit with a sense of one’s sin,” or “to render contrite.” Anglo-French speakers borrowed a form of the verb conterere and made it the adjective contrit, which was in turn adopted into English in the 1300s.

Synonyms
remorseful
ashamed
sorry
apologetic
repentant
penitent
regretful
Examples of contrite in a Sentence
Allbaugh apologized, though it was clear he was hardly contrite.
—Christopher Cooper &Robert Block, Disaster, 2006
… Teddy was immediately contrite. "That was stupid of me. Forgive me."
—Jack Higgins, The President's Daughter, 1998
At the airport, the meter registers nine pounds, and of course he had said six or seven. I have a sense now of his feeling somewhat contrite, or perhaps only abashed.
—Renata Adler, Pitch Dark, 1983
… for days afterward, afraid of himself and worried about his sanity, he would be contrite and terribly ashamed.
—John Nichols, The Milagro Beanfield War, 1974
being contrite is not enough to spare you an arrest if you're caught shoplifting
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
How did so many Germans become contrite about the Nazi past?
—Gary J. Bass, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2025
Van Buren returns shortly with a newly contrite attitude, having come around to his library’s merits and read up on Toth’s prior designs in Hungary.
—Anthony Paletta, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Feb. 2025
Everyone would be expecting a contrite performance from him, tepid jokes about male-female relationships, jokes about how horrible men were, and so on.
—Camille Bordas, Harper's Magazine, 2 May 2024
Scotty was pretty contrite during the reunion, but Aria was clearly heartbroken.
—Laura Bradley, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024

Word History
Etymology
Middle English contrit, borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin contr;tus, past participle of Latin conterere "to pound to pieces, crush, wear out or down, exhaust mentally or physically" (Medieval Latin also, "to crush in spirit with a sense of one's sin, render contrite"), from con- con- + terere "to rub, grind, crush, wear down" — more at trite

First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of contrite was in the 14th century
See more words from the same century