What does sorrowed mean?
Sorrowed is an uncommon literary word with both adjectival and verbal uses. As an adjective, it describes a person, voice, expression, or other feature that is filled with or expressive of sorrow: a sorrowed heart or a sorrowed voice. As the past tense and past participle of sorrow, it refers to experiencing grief or loss, as in a statement that someone sorrowed a death. Its connotations are solemn, reflective, and often poetic rather than conversational. The familiar adjective sorrowful is normally more direct and more widely understood, while sorrowed gives language a more expressive, traditional tone. The word is useful in literary description and formal narrative, especially when the writer wishes to convey sorrow as an enduring emotional condition rather than a brief reaction. In everyday speech, its rarity may sound deliberately elevated or old-fashioned.
Characterized by, filled with, or expressive of sorrow.
"She looked at him with sorrowed eyes."
Chiefly literary or archaic; sorrowful is more common in modern English.
The past tense and past participle of sorrow: experienced grief or sadness.
"He sorrowed deeply after the death of his brother."
More characteristic of formal, literary, or older English than of ordinary conversation.
The adjective sorrowed gives sorrow a human quality: it presents sadness not merely as a feeling but as something visible in a voice, face, or heart.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sorrowed come from?
Sorrowed derives from sorrow, which comes from Old English sorg, meaning care, grief, or distress, and has relatives in other Germanic languages, including German Sorge and Dutch smart. The historical adjective sorrowed was formed by adding the Middle English participial ending -ed to sorrow. In adjectival use, the form developed the sense of being affected by or marked by sorrow, while retaining its connection with the older verbal meaning of experiencing grief.
Related word forms
How sorrowed is actually used
Sorrowed is uncommon in ordinary modern English. The adjectival use is literary and typically sounds more poetic or archaic than the more familiar sorrowful; the verbal use is also more characteristic of older or formal writing.
Easily confused with sorrowed
Sorry can express regret, apology, sympathy, or sadness, whereas sorrowed specifically describes someone or something characterized by deep sorrow.