Did you know?
In Latin, mordere means "to bite;" thus, remorse is something that "gnaws" at you over and over. In criminal court, judges are always looking for signs that a convicted felon is suffering remorse for his crime; if not, the judge may well lengthen his sentence or deny him parole after serving part of it. Remorse is stronger than mere regret; real remorse is the kind of thing that may last a lifetime.
Synonyms
Examples of remorse in a Sentence
Vanessa Gera, Los Angeles Times, 25 Jan. 2025
But usually there are preconditions for gaining forgiveness: admitting guilt, expressing remorse, making amends.
—Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 23 Jan. 2025
The judge, Janet Bond Arterton, reduced Peeler’s federal sentence from 35 years to 15 years but declined to immediately release him from prison after federal prosecutors and Clarke’s family members pointed out that Peeler had never expressed remorse for the 1999 murders in Bridgeport.
—Lisa Hagen, Hartford Courant, 23 Jan. 2025
Several defendants including Colt and Hemphill apologized or expressed remorse for their actions during the insurrection — with Hemphill going a step further and rejecting her pardon.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for remorse 
Dictionary Entries Near remorse
Cite this Entry
“Remorse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/remorse. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
remorse
noun
Middle English remorse "a deep regret for having done wrong," from early French remors (same meaning), from Latin remorsus, noun derivative of remordēre "to bite again," from mordēre "to bite" — related to morsel
Share