| English Dictionary |
CONTRITE
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
| IPA (US): |  |
Dictionary entry overview: What does contrite mean?
• CONTRITE (adjective)
The adjective CONTRITE has 1 sense:
1. feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
Familiarity information: CONTRITE used as an adjective is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
Feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses
Synonyms:
contrite; remorseful; rueful; ruthful
Similar:
penitent; repentant (feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds)
Derivation:
contriteness (sorrow for sin arising from fear of damnation)
Context examples
On that occasion Professor Summerlee was the chief offender, and though he is now chastened and contrite, the matter could not be entirely forgotten.
(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
A contrite heart and ten nobles to holy mother Church may stave off perdition; but he hath a pardon of the first degree, with a twenty-five livre benison, so that I doubt if he will so much as feel a twinge of purgatory.
(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Seeing that he really was out of temper, Jo, who knew how to manage him, assumed a contrite expression, and going artistically down upon her knees, said meekly, Please forgive me for being so cross.
(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)
| Learn English with... Proverbs |
"If a man is to do something more than human, he must have more than human powers." (Native American proverb, tribe unknown)
"Measure your quilt, then stretch your legs." (Arabic proverb)
"Hunger drives the wolf from its den." (Corsican proverb)