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Sorrow vs Penitent - What's the difference?

sorrow | penitent |

As nouns the difference between sorrow and penitent

is that sorrow is (uncountable) unhappiness, woe while penitent is one who repents of sin; one sorrowful on account of his or her transgressions.

As a verb sorrow

is to feel or express grief.

As a adjective penitent is

feeling pain or sorrow on account of sins or offenses; repentant; contrite; sincerely affected by a sense of guilt, and resolved on amendment of life.

sorrow

English

Noun

  • (uncountable) unhappiness, woe
  • * Rambler
  • The safe and general antidote against sorrow is employment.
  • (countable) (usually in plural) An instance or cause of unhappiness.
  • Parting is such sweet sorrow .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To feel or express grief.
  • * 1749 , Henry Fielding, Tom Jones , Folio Society 1973, p. 424:
  • Sorrow not, sir,’ says he, ‘like those without hope.’
  • To feel grief over; to mourn, regret.
  • *, II.12:
  • It is impossible to make a man naturally blind, to conceive that he seeth not; impossible to make him desire to see, and sorrow his defect.

    References

    * *

    penitent

    English

    Alternative forms

    * (archaic) * (qualifier)

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Feeling pain or sorrow on account of sins or offenses; repentant; contrite; sincerely affected by a sense of guilt, and resolved on amendment of life.
  • * 1838 , , (The Anatomy of Melancholy) , B. Blake, p.730,
  • If thou be penitent and grieved, or desirous to be so, these heinous sins shall not be laid to thy charge.
  • * Milton
  • Be penitent , and for thy fault contrite.
  • Doing penance.
  • (Shakespeare)

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • One who repents of sin; one sorrowful on account of his or her transgressions.
  • One under church censure, but admitted to penance; one undergoing penance.
  • * 1837 , William Russell, The History of Modern Europe: with an Account of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire , Longman, Rees, & Co., page 20,
  • Wamba, who defeated the Saracens in an attempt upon Spain, was deprived of the crown, because he had been clothed in the habit of a penitent , while labouring under the influence of poison, administered by the ambitious Erviga!
  • One under the direction of a confessor.
  • Synonyms

    * penaunt