sor´row|er

sor|row «SOR oh, SR-», noun, verb.

–n.

1. grief, sadness, or regret: »

She felt sorrow at the loss of her kitten. Sorrow comes with years (Elizabeth Barrett Browning).

2. a cause of grief, sadness, or regret; trouble; suffering; misfortune: »

Her sorrows, have aged her. Call ignorance my sorrow, not my sin (Robert Browning).

SYNONYM(S): afflication, woe.

–v.i.

to feel or show grief, sadness, or regret; be sad; feel sorry; grieve: »

She sorrowed over the lost kitten.

SYNONYM(S): mourn.

╂[Old English sorg]

–sor´row|er, noun.

Synonym Study noun. 1 Sorrow, grief, distress mean sadness or mental suffering caused by loss or trouble. Sorrow suggests deep and usually prolonged sadness or anguish: »

Not knowing what had happened to her son brought great sorrow to the woman.

Grief suggests acute but usually not prolonged sorrow: »

Her grief when he died was almost unbearable.

Distress suggests the strain or pressure of pain (physical or mental), grief, fear, anxiety, or the like: »

War causes widespread distress.