Synonyms for contrition
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Penitence — the state of being contrite; sincere penitence or remorse
penitence, remorse, repentance, compunction, regret, sorrow, guilt, self-reproach, sorriness, ruth dated, rue dated
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
The state of being contrite; sincere penitence or remorse.
- n. 2
The act of grinding or rubbing to powder.
Forms
- Plural
- contritions → penitences, remorses, repentances, compunctions…
Choose the right word
Contrition is a subduing sorrow for sin, as against the divine holiness and love.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- remorse He has shown remorse for the unfortunate incident.
- repentance His face expresses deep sorrow and repentance.
- penitence They demanded public penitence from me.
- compunction Tom has no compunction about engaging in usury.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| contrition | rising | |
| remorse | rising | |
| repentance | rising | |
| penitence | rising | |
| compunction | rising | |
| contriteness | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- rue1
- 4 letters
- ruth1
- 5 letters
- guilt1
- 6 letters
- regret2, sorrow2
- 7 letters
- rubbing2, remorse2
- 8 letters
- friction2
- 9 letters
- attrition3, penitence, sorriness
- 10 letters
- repentance3
- 11 letters
- compunction3
- 12 letters
- contriteness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (regret2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- contrition
- Italiano
- contrizione