Synonyms & related words for penitent

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of penitent — including repentant, penitential, contrite, remorseful, rueful, regretful. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to penitent

Explore words related to penitent — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include penitently, repentantly, penitence, repentance, contrition, penance, repenting, contritely. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for penitent

Common synonyms for penitent include repentant, penitential, contrite, remorseful, rueful, regretful, apologetic, compunctious — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does penitent come from?

The word penitent breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root pen-, from Latin poena (“penalty, punishment”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.