contrite
kuhn-TRYTE
/kənˈtraɪt/
Feeling or expressing deep sorrow and remorse for a sin or shortcoming.
Implies a heart ground down by sorrow, desiring genuine transformation rather than mere fear of punishment.
The story behind the word. Contrite comes from the Latin 'contritus', which literally means 'ground to pieces' or 'crushed'. In medieval theological tradition, a contrite spirit was one whose pride had been ground down into dust by the weight of conscience.
Word relationships
- remorseful: Remorseful emphasizes the painful sting of guilt, while contrite emphasizes humility and a desire to reform.
- unrepentant: Unrepentant indicates a complete lack of regret or willingness to change.
Commonly confused with
- trite: Trite means overused or lacking originality, whereas contrite means genuinely remorseful.
Word family
- contrition (noun): the state of feeling remorseful and penitent
- contritely (adverb): in a contrite or sorrowful manner
Collocations
- contrite heart
- contrite apology
- contrite spirit
Example sentences
- "He expressed a contrite posture after acknowledging the devastating consequences of his betrayal." Literary depiction of remorse
Memory hook
Think of your pride being crushed until it is 'ground right' down; a contrite heart is broken down by regret. A heart ground down into dust by regret.
When not to use
Do not use for trivial blunders like spilling coffee; reserve for serious moral or interpersonal breaches.
Fun facts
- In classical theology, 'contrition' was distinguished from 'attrition'—the former was sorrow arising from love, while the latter was sorrow arising merely from fear of punishment.
Related words
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