Sor"ry (?), a.
[Compar. Sorrier (?);
superl. Sorriest.] [OE. sory,
sary, AS. sārig, fr. sār,
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.