ISEE/SSAT Vocabulary BuilderWordsCcontrite
ISEE/SSAThard
contrite
Meaning: feeling or showing genuine remorse for wrongdoing
contrite in a sentence
How contrite is used in real sentences:
The contrite student apologized to his teacher for cheating on the quiz.
His contrite apology convinced the coach to let him back on the team.
“It was not a contrite confession: the directors accepted no blame, and the circular carefully presented reform as refinement.”
— from the passage The Eastern Turn
“Mara felt contrite for having presented the first draft as though precision alone could settle what the valley's history meant.”
— from the passage The Moraine Calendar
Synonyms for contrite
Other words for contrite — remorseful, repentant and apologetic — carry the same meaning.
- remorseful
- repentant
- apologetic
Antonyms of contrite
Words that mean the opposite of contrite:
- unrepentant
- unapologetic
Where it comes from
From Latin conterere 'to grind, wear down'
Memory hook
CON-TRITE — TRIED to make things right after doing wrong.