apologetically

apologetically — 副詞

1. with a way of speaking, looking, or behaving that shows you regret a mistake, a

1.副詞B2
釋義

歉然地

以表達歉意或愧疚的方式

with a way of speaking, looking, or behaving that shows you regret a mistake, a wrong action, or an inconvenience you have caused.

例句

Erik smiled apologetically as he squeezed past the other passengers on the train.

Erik 擠過火車上擁擠的乘客時，帶著歉意笑了笑。

manner adverb before verb of facial expression

Zola apologetically explained that she had lost the library books her friend lent her.

Zola 歉然地解釋，她弄丟了朋友借給她的圖書館書。

同義詞
  • sheepishly

    suggests embarrassment or shame, often about a minor fault, while apologetically focuses more on expressing regret

  • contrite (adjective form used with 'look' or 'tone')

    describes the person's feeling rather than the manner of an action; more formal and intense

  • ruefully

    adds a touch of wry, sad amusement at one's own mistake, less directly apologetic

反義詞
  • unapologetically

    direct opposite — doing something without regret or without saying sorry

  • defiantly

    shows resistance or refusal to admit fault, the opposite of accepting blame

文法句型

verb + apologetically

apologetically + verb

用法筆記

Almost always modifies verbs of speech (said, explained, admitted, told) or verbs describing facial expression and body language (smiled, looked, shrugged, grinned). It is rarely used with dynamic action verbs such as ran, cooked, or built.

常見錯誤

❌She gave him an apologetically look.
✅She gave him an apologetic look.
💡The adjective 'apologetic' goes before a noun; 'apologetically' is an adverb that modifies a verb.
❌He apologetically when he arrived late.
✅He spoke apologetically when he arrived late.
💡An adverb cannot stand alone; it needs a verb to describe.