Contrition
from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Contrition \Con*tri"tion\, n. [F. contrition, L. contritio.]
1. The act of grinding or ribbing to powder; attrition;
friction; rubbing. [Obs.]
[1913 Webster]
The breaking of their parts into less parts by
contrition. --Sir I.
Newton.
[1913 Webster]
2. The state of being contrite; deep sorrow and repentance
for sin, because sin is displeasing to God; humble
penitence; through repentance.
[1913 Webster]
My future days shall be one whole contrition.
--Dryden.
Syn: repentance; penitence; humiliation; compunction;
self-reproach; remorse.
Usage: {Contrition}, {Attrition}, {repentance}. -- Contrition
is deep sorrow and self-condemnation, with through
repetance for sin because it is displeasing to God,
and implies a feeling of love toward God. Attrition is
sorrow for sin, or imperfect repentance produced by
fear of punishment or a sense of the baseness of sin.
Repentance is a penitent renunciation of, and turning
from, sin; thorough repentance produces a new life.
Repentance is often used as synonymous with
contrition. See {Compunction}.
[1913 Webster]
from
Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0
35 Moby Thesaurus words for "contrition":
abject apology, acknowledgment, apologies, apology, attrition,
ayenbite of inwit, bitterness, breast-beating, compunction,
confession, contriteness, excuse, grief, mea culpa, penance,
penitence, penitently, regret, regretfulness, regrets, regretting,
remorse, remorse of conscience, remorsefulness, repentance,
repining, rue, ruth, shame, shamefacedness, shamefastness,
shamefulness, sorriness, sorrow, wistfulness
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