contrite

adjective

con·​trite kən-ˈtrīt How to pronounce contrite (audio)
also
ˈkän-ˌtrīt How to pronounce contrite (audio)
: 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?

A person who is contrite may have rubbed someone the wrong way and caused bruised feelings—and there is a hint about the origins of the word in that thought. Contrite came to English by way of Anglo-French from the Latin verb conterere, meaning "to grind" or "to bruise." Conterere, in turn, was formed by combining the prefix com-, meaning "with" or "together," and terere, "to rub." If you've guessed that trite is a cousin of contrite (through terere), you are correct. Other terere descendants in English include detriment and very possibly the familiar verb try.

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 Power delivery, suspension tuning, and handling are almost contrite in Strada (Street) mode and borderline lethargic in pure EV mode. Brett Berk, Robb Report, 22 Oct. 2024 In Tuesday’s contrite letter to investors, Jun promised Samsung would address these and other issues head-on. Greg McKenna, Fortune, 8 Oct. 2024 According to a report from Autosport, Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali issued a contrite apology to the teams in the aftermath. Dan Cancian, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024 Only one of the officers has been sentenced: a former community service officer named Samantha Peterson, who avoided jail time after reading a contrite statement in court. Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 31 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for contrite 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'contrite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English contrit, borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Medieval Latin contrītus, 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

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near contrite

Cite this Entry

“Contrite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contrite. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

contrite

adjective
: feeling or showing sorrow and remorse for a wrong that one has done
a contrite criminal
a contrite apology
contritely adverb
contriteness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on contrite

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