contrite

English

WOTD - 30 May 2006    

Etymology

From Latin contritus.

Pronunciation

• (RP)¹ IPA: /kɒnˈtɹaɪt/
• (RP)² IPA: /ˈkɒntɹaɪt/
• (US) IPA: /kənˈtɹaɪt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adjective

contrite (comparative more contrite, superlative most contrite)

1. Sincerely penitent or feeling regret or sorrow, especially for one’s own actions; apologetic.
   • 1955, Joseph Heller, Catch-22^[1], chapter 13, page 133:

     He greeted Milo jovially each time they met and, in an excess of contrite generosity, impulsively recommended Major Major for promotion. The recommendation was rejected at once at Twenty-seventh Air Force Headquarters by ex-P.F.C. Wintergreen, who scribbled a brusque, unsigned reminder that the Army had only one Major Major Major Major and did not intend to lose him by promotion just to please Colonel Cathcart.

   • 1853, William Cowper, The Poetical Works of William Cowper^[2], volume 3, Little, Brown & Co., page 9:

     The Lord will happiness divine / On contrite hearts bestow

Antonyms

• attrite

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:remorseful
• apologetic

Derived terms

• contritely
• contriteness

Translations

Sincerely penitent

Bulgarian: разкаян (bg) Croatian: skrušen (hr) m. Dutch: rouwvol (nl), met (nl) berouw (nl) Finnish: katuva (fi) French: contrit (fr) m. German: reuevoll (de), zerknirscht (de)

Panjabi: ਪਛਤਾਵਾ (pa) ਗਰਸਤ (pa) Russian: кающийся (ru) Spanish: contrito (es)

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French

Adjective

contrite f.

1. feminine of contrit

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Italian

Adjective

contrite f.

1. Feminine plural form of contrito

Anagrams

• cornetti

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Latin

Participle

contrīte

1. vocative masculine singular of contrītus