We're sorry | Ledger (2024)

FAQs

How do you say we're sorry? ›

It says that you share values regarding appropriate behavior towards each other, that you have regrets when you don't behave according to those values (intentionally or unintentionally), and that you will make greater efforts to live up to your shared standards of behavior.

1. I apologize. Consider this a direct, more formal synonym of “I'm sorry.” It's quite versatile in the sense that it can be used for both small and big mistakes. I apologize for being late.

Apologizing mends trust: A sincere apology allows you to let people know you're not proud of what you did, and won't be repeating the behavior. 2 That lets people know you're the kind of person who is generally careful not to hurt others and focuses on your better virtues, rather than on your worst mistakes.

When you use “if” to qualify your apologies, you are questioning the recipient's reaction to the wrong, rather than to the wrong itself. At its worse, “if” seeks to shift the blame, effectively saying: “I'm sorry if you're so tightly wound that you can't see your reaction is overblown.”

Acknowledging that we have hurt someone. Validating their feelings. Expressing remorse. Being explicit about our desire to make amends.

I (want to) sincerely apologize. A formal and polite way to say you're sorry. I'd like to apologize for how I reacted/behaved. Apologize in a formal manner or for something very serious.

What is a better word for "sorry"? ›

apologetic contrite regretful remorseful touched.

Rather than saying sorry when you want to show your consideration to others, try to express your gratitude. You can offer your thanks to others to preempt their response to inconveniences and take ownership of your actions. Example: Thank you so much for your patience while I finalize all the details in this report.

Lastly, don't apologize if you don't mean it (yes, it's that simple!). "It can be tempting to apologize to our partners for the sake of soothing hurt feelings, but we want our partners to be able to trust our word. Apologizing when we don't mean it will weaken their trust in the long run," she explains.

“I apologize for my behavior; I didn't mean to hurt you.” “I'm truly sorry for what I said/did; it was thoughtless of me.” “I want you to know how sorry I am and that I'll work to make things right.” “Please forgive me; I value our relationship and don't want to lose you.”

My apologies is another word for “I'm sorry.” It's rather formal, so it's fine for business contexts. Commonly, people use it to decline an invitation or express regret at not being able to fulfill a request.