remorse

• remorce (obsolete)

First attested circa 14th century as Middle English remors, from Old French remors, from Medieval Latin remorsum, from Latin remordeō (“I torment, I vex”, literally “I bite back”), from re- +‎ mordeō (“I bite”). More at remord.

• (UK) enPR: rĭ-môrsʹ, IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈmɔː(ɹ)s/

  • Audio (UK)

    (file)

• (US) enPR: rĭ-môrsʹ, IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈmɔɹs/
• Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)s
• Hyphenation: re‧morse

remorse (countable and uncountable, plural remorses)

1. A feeling of regret or sadness for doing wrong or sinning.
   • 2014 March 1, Rocksheng Zhong, Madelon Baranoski, Neal Feigenson, Larry Davidson, Alec Buchanan and Howard V. Zonana, “So You’re Sorry? The Role of Remorse in Criminal Law”, in Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law Online, Volume 42, Issue 1‎, page 39–48:

     In criminal proceedings, empirical studies have shown that remorse plays an important role in observers’ judgments of defendants.

   • 1897, Oscar Wilde, De Profundis:

     Failure, disgrace, poverty, sorrow, despair, suffering, tears even, the broken words that come from lips in pain, remorse that makes one walk on thorns, conscience that condemns . . . —all these were things of which I was afraid.

2. (obsolete) Sorrow; pity; compassion.
   • c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii]:

     This is the bloodiest shame,
     The wildest savagery, the vilest stroke,
     That ever wall-eyed wrath or staring rage
     Presented to the tears of soft remorse.

• (regret or sadness for doing wrong): agenbite, compunction, contrition, penitence, repentance, rue, self-reproach
• See also Thesaurus:remorse

• regret, sadness

• apology

• Roemers, roemers

remorse

1. vocative masculine singular of remorsus

remorse

1. Alternative form of remors