Forms: α. 1 sorʓian, sorhʓian, 2–3 sorȝen (3 sorgen, sorhen, -in), 4 zorȝe, 5 soroȝe. β. 3 serrȝhenn; 4 sarwin, serewe, 5 serwe. γ. 3 seoruwen, sorewi, 4–5 sorewe; 3–5 sorwe, 4 sorwy, 4–5 sorwyn. δ. 4 soru(u, 4–5 sorou, 4–6 sorow(e, 6 sorrowe, 6– sorrow. [OE. sorʓian (f. sorʓ, sorh SORROW sb.), = OFris. *sorgia (WFris. soargje, NFris. sörrige, surrege, etc.), OLFrank. sorgôn (MDu. sorghen, Du. zorgen), OS. sorg-, sorag-, sorogôn (MLG. and LG. sorgen), OHG. sorgôn, usually sorgên (MHG. and G. sorgen); of different formation are Goth. saurgan and ON. syrgja (Icel. and Norw. syrgja, Sw. sörja, Da. sørge).]
1. intr. To feel sorrow or sadness; to regret or grieve; also, to exhibit signs of grief, to mourn.
In OE. freq. ‘to feel care or anxiety, to be anxious.’
α. Beowulf, 1384. Ne sorʓa, snotor guma!
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., vii. § 3. Þa woruldare … þe þu nu sorʓiende anforlete.
971. Blickl. Hom., 97. Þeah hwæþere he sceal winnan & sorʓian, hwonne se dæʓ cume.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 103. Þissere worlde sarinesse þenne þe mon sorȝeð alles to swiðe for his hehte lure.
c. 1205. Lay., 5078. Brennes þat isæh & sorȝeden on his heorte.
c. 1230. Hali Meid., 27. Moni þing schal ham … makie to carien, & … sorhen & siken.
1340. Ayenb., 71. [He] nou ine helle wepeþ and gredeþ, yelleþ and zorȝeþ.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4051. Quen he þaire simpilnes sees he soroȝes in his hert.
β. c. 1200. Ormin, 8950. Whatt wass ȝuw swa to serrȝhenn?
a. 1300. Cursor M., 23511 (Edinb.). Ne suld þou nauþir scham ne sarwin.
a. 1400. Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., xxiii. 44. Bi-hold þe wrecchednesse so rif Of soule þat is serwyng.
γ. a. 1225. Ancr. R., 308. Uour þinges … muwen makien him to seoruwen, & bittren his heorte.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. Wace (Rolls), 2439. Þenne bygan Leyr to sorewe, & ment his mone euen & morwe.
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 691. But whan he wist it was wast…, he gan to sike & sorwe.
c. 1450. Lovelich, Merlin, 11794 (E.E.T.S.). Thus ryden they Soreweng, bothe knyht & page.
δ. a. 1300. Cursor M., 23511. Ne sal þou noþer scam ne soruu, Bot haf gret ioi. Ibid., 24437. I sagh him dei, i sorud ai.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XX. 48. Lang quhile our hym thai sorowit swa.
c. 1400. Pilgr. Sowle (Caxton, 1483), IV. xix. 64. Thenne byganne this fayre tree to wepen and to sorowen.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, II. v. (1883), 70. They … sorowe more that wilful pouerte is lost in rome.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 86 b. In all euyll thou mayst fynde cause to mourne and sorowe.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. ix. 15. I sorrowed all so much, as earst I ioyd.
1667. Milton, P. L., XI. 117. I shall … So send them forth, though sorrowing, yet in peace.
1720. Pope, Iliad, XIX. 134. Stung to the soul, he sorrow’d, and he raged.
1838. Lytton, Alice, 15. They who have sorrowed may well be reluctant to sadden … those to whom sorrow is yet unknown.
1883. ‘Ouida,’ Wanda, I. 34. You have sorrowed and tarried in seclusion long enough.
Prov. 1639. J. Clarke, Parœmiologia, 220. He that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing.
1707. Mortimer, Husb. (1721), I. 366. Lest, according to the old Saying it proves, ‘That he that goes a borrowing goes a sorrowing.’
b. Const. at, for, over.
Examples with for and ymbe also occur in OE.
1530. Palsgr., 725/1. He soroweth for his fathers deth.
1551. Bible, Acts xx. 38. Sorowing moste of all for the wordes whiche he spake.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., IV. xv. 52. The miserable change now at my end, Lament nor sorrow at.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea, xxx. 69. This I haue sorrowed for many times since.
1677. Milton, Samson, 1603. I sorrow’d at his captive state.
1797–1805. S. & Ht. Lee, Canterb. T., II. 273. His nature was unequal to sorrowing for more than one object.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., xiv. He should sorrow o’er my state.
1867. ‘Ouida,’ C. Castlemaine’s Gage (1879), 17. Sorrowing … for her ruined cause and exiled king.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 496. I would not have him sorrow at my hard lot.
† c. With for: To have charge of, look after, provide for. Obs.
1481. Caxton, Reynard (Arb.), 25. He that sorowed for malperduys was goon his way. And the hows not pourueyed ne vitaylled.
1545. Brinklow, Lament. (1874), 90. Yf ye wolde redresse these thinges,… and sorowe [1542 prouyde] for the poore, so shulde ye be without the clamor of them.
2. trans. To think of with sorrow; to feel sorrow on account of; to lament.
a. 1340. Hampole, Psalter iv. 5. Ȝe … in ȝoure dennes ere stongen sorowand ȝoure synnes. Ibid., xxiv. 17. [The] anlepy is mare lufid, [the] pore is mare sorowid.
c. 1450. Myrr. our Ladye, 256. The redde rose waxed then pale when the vyrgyn sorowed the dethe of her sonne.
1508. Fisher, 7 Penit. Ps. cxxx. Wks. (1876), 232. Shall not I sorowe the destruccion of .xx. C.M. soules.
1547. J. Harrison, Exhort. Scottes, a iiij. This miserie is muche to be sorowed.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., VII. 304. Their time was come, which mortality might sorrow, but … not preuent.
b. With subordinate clause.
Examples with hwæðer, hwylc, þæt, occur in OE.
c. 1450. Myrr. our Ladye, 308. Thy sonne…, whome thou sorowedyst to suffer dethe.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 290. It is … moche to be sorowed, that [etc.].
1535. Coverdale, Judith iv. 2. They sorowed he shulde do vnto the cite of Ierusalem … as he had done to other cities.
1608. Capt. Smith, True Relat., Wks. (Arb.), 30. Her Father … much sorrowed he could not see me.
1859. Tennyson, Elaine, 728. She,… sorrowing Lancelot should have stoop’d so low, Marr’d her friend’s aim.
1897. Howells, Landlord at Lion’s Head, 418. He sorrowed that he could not attend a service there.
3. To give pain to; to grieve, make sorrowful.
a. 1310. in Wright, Lyric P., xv. 50. Nou hit sereweth him ful sore, ant bringeth him to grounde.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 688. Þat sorweþ myn herte How þei ben cloþed in cloþ.
a. 1425. trans. Arderne’s Treat. Fistula, etc. 7. Ȝif ȝoure soule or mynd couaite þat deliteþ, drinke þe first þat soroweþ or akeþ.
1574. Hellowes, Gueuara’s Fam. Ep. (1577), 189. The ague that held you, sorroweth me.
1637. Heywood, Royall King, II. iv. It sorrows me that you misprize my love.
1840. Fraser’s Mag., XXI. 23. The only member of the gentler sex whose name sorrows our obituary, is—Miss Landon.
1890. Jean Middlemass, Two False Moves, II. xii. 183. The bitterness of her tone sorrowed him till he was nearly unmanned.
Hence Sorrowed ppl. a.
1607. Shaks., Timon, V. i. 152. The publike Body … send forth vs, to make their sorrowed render.
1807. J. Barlow, Columb., I. 165. Now raise thy sorrow’d soul to views more bright.
