Sincere Ways to Say Sorry to a Friend
Always be honest and sincere when saying sorry to a friend. Gardner says that in many cases people aren’t sorry for what they said because they were trying to be funny or they meant their words at the time. What they’re truly sorry for is the pain they caused. So, tell the truth, and apologize for causing your friend pain. Use one of these apologies to help you come up with a sincere way to say sorry to your friend: I should have put in more effort. I see that now. I'm so sorry. My biggest mistake was letting my ego come in the way of a heartfelt apology. I am sorry. I never meant for things to spiral so out of control. I have made a huge mistake by hurting you. Please find it in your heart to forgive me. I am sorry for taking you for granted. You are an amazing friend, and I love you. My heart is heavy and my ego is in shambles. I'm a sad soul, I feel awful, and I need to apologize. I know I have let you down, and now I have emptiness and guilt in my heart. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me? I am so sorry for my awful behavior. I won't act that way again. I hate that I was too stubborn to see your perspective. I sincerely apologize for how I acted. Every time I remember that I hurt you, I feel guilt hanging all over me. Please forgive me. More than what I did, I am ashamed of who I have become. Please forgive me, and I promise you will see the best of me soon. My lousy attitude has created an ugly stain on our friendship. I’m sorry for being so rude to you. I want to let you know that I see how what I did was wrong now that I've had time to reflect on it. Please accept my heartfelt apologies. I hate knowing you're angry with me. Regret and sadness have stolen my life’s happiness. I am sorry for letting you down. I am sorry for crossing the lines we established. I promise never to do that again. You're one of the most important person in my life, and I'm furious with myself for hurting you. I am so sorry. Despite knowing that words can hurt, I spoke to you in a way that I never should have. I am really sorry about my behavior. Please let me make it up to you.
Funny Ways to Say Sorry to a Friend
Break tension and make your friend laugh with a funny apology. Laughter is a great way to relieve stress and break tension. Just make sure you’re taking your friend’s feelings seriously and not making them the butt of the joke. Try one of these cute and funny apologies to keep things light when you say you’re sorry: I’m sorry for making that joke earlier. It was insensitive, and I totally get why it didn’t land. Clearly, I don’t have a future in stand-up comedy. Please forgive me! I’m sorry for being a knucklehead. Let’s laugh about it and move on together. Please forgive me for everything that happened yesterday. I acted like a complete clown, and not the good, funny kind. I’m so sorry! You know I'm the stupid one. I'm sorry. Let's be friends again. Do you know why your good friend wants to give you a really long apologyyyyyyyyyyyyy? That is because he/she is really sorryyyyyyyyyyy. I’m sorry for acting like a clown. Please forgive me and I promise to be your favorite jester. I’m so sorry for that stupid comment I made earlier. You’re the peanut butter to my jelly, and I hope you know how much your friendship means to me. I apologize for my silly mistake. Let’s laugh it off and move forward together. One thing’s for sure: you’re the calmer and more level-headed one out of the two of us. I’m so sorry for losing my temper. I apologize for my boneheaded mistake. Can we just laugh and have a do-over?” Some days I’m on top of my game, but yesterday was absolutely not one of them. I’m so sorry for letting you down! Let me make things right. I’m sorry for being a dork. Please forgive me and let’s share more laughs. You have always been the mature one between us two. I hope you will forgive me like you always do. I'm sorry for being a goofball, and I hope my silly antics didn't cause too much trouble. I’m sorry for being such a goofball. Let’s put this behind us and enjoy some laughs. I’m sorry for that stupid joke I made earlier! It wasn’t funny at all. Comedy has never been my strong suit, and now you totally see why. From now on, I’ll leave the jokes to you. I feel like such a doofus. I didn’t mean that comment to sound the way it did, but I totally get why it hurt your feelings. I’m so sorry!
Cute & Creative Ways to Say Sorry to a Friend
Get creative with your apology to show your friend you’re truly sorry. If you’re dealing with a relatively minor infraction, a cute or creative apology might be appropriate. Just make sure that even the most adorable “I’m sorry” is still genuine. Check out the list of cute and creative apologies below for inspiration: Friends like you deserve only the best—starting with a genuine “I’m sorry.” I’m sorry I’m such a mess. I didn’t mean for my drama to hurt you. Please forgive me? I'm sorry for what I did, and I made a playlist of all your favorite songs about friendship to cheer you up. Sometimes stupid words slip out of my mouth when I’m not paying attention, but my heart always stays loyal to you. Sorry! I baked you a “sorry friend” cake...because I’m one sorry friend. Let’s munch away the misunderstandings. Please forgive me, my dear friend. I'll make it up to you with a movie night and all your favorite snacks. I’m sorry for being a bit of a mess, but you’re my favorite part of the chaos. I’m paws-itively sorry for what I did. Can we paws and make things right? Here’s a bouquet of sorry flowers. Hoping we can bloom our friendship into better days. You’re my go-to person, even when I mess up. Please accept my apology! I'm so sorry, my friend. I made you a little care package to show how much I care. Consider this my official apology note, handwritten in friendship and signed with love. Sending you a friendly sorry-gram filled with hugs and apologies. Let’s make up soon! I may not always get it right, but my friendship with you means everything. Forgive me? If apologies came with hugs, you’d be squished by now. I’m sorry, my friend! I'm truly sorry, and I baked you your favorite cookies as a peace offering. Please accept my heartfelt apology and this cute little surprise to show my remorse.
Emotional Ways to Say Sorry to a Best Friend
Show your true emotions when you apologize to your best friend. Dig deep to let your bestie know how much it upsets you that you hurt them. But don’t forget to focus on them and their emotions, too. It might take more than words. You may need to let them vent their sadness or anger. Here are a few emotional ways to open the lines of communication and tell your BFF you’re genuinely sorry for hurting them: You’re my ride or die. Your friendship is my anchor, and I’m sorry for letting you drift. Every friendship has its bumps, and I’m sorry for creating this one. I don’t take your friendship for granted, and I regret anything that made you feel unappreciated. You’re the kind of best friend everyone dreams of, and I’m sorry for not treating you that way. I’ve been replaying everything in my mind and know I owe you better. I’m so sorry. No excuse can justify my actions, but I hope my apology can start healing the damage. Your friendship has always been my safe place, and I’m sorry for breaking that trust. I don’t want to lose a best friend as incredible as you over some stupid thing I said. Please forgive me. I’ve learned from my mistake, and I promise from now on I’ll be the best friend you deserve. I was so stupid to say something so awful to you. You’re my best friend. I’m sorry! You mean too much to me to let this mistake ruin our bond. I hope you can forgive me. Your friendship has always been my light. I’m sorry for dimming it. I don’t want to lose the best friend I’ve ever had. Please let me fix this. Please know that my regret runs deep and my apology is genuine. I let my emotions get the best of me, and I hurt you. I truly regret it. Seeking the forgiveness of the best friend in the world… Yours sincerely, the dumbest friend in the world! You’re more than a friend—you’re family. Forgive me for failing to show that.
Heart-Touching Ways to Say Sorry for a Misunderstanding
Use your apology to take responsibility for misunderstandings. Saying you’re sorry isn’t always about who gets blamed for what. Sometimes, you have a negative experience that comes from a genuine misunderstanding. In those cases, don’t think too hard about who’s at fault. Try sending one of the following “I’m sorry” messages to make amends with your friend and move on: I’m sorry for my role in this confusion. Let’s sort things out and bring back the peace. I wasn’t clear, and that’s on me. I’m sorry for the confusion and any hurt I caused. I feel awful about the misunderstanding and the tension it caused. Please know I’m truly sorry. Your friendship means the world to me, and I hope we can resolve this misunderstanding together. I regret not communicating better and letting this misunderstanding grow. Can we fix it? Please accept my sincere apology and know that I am here to listen and understand. I care too much about us to let a misunderstanding linger. Please let’s talk and move forward. I hate that my words created confusion. I’m sorry, and I want to make things right. I’m sorry for any misunderstandings that came between us. Let’s talk things out and clear the air. Sometimes words fail, and misunderstandings happen. I hope we can find clarity and move forward together. Sorry for any miscommunication on my part. I value our friendship too much to let misunderstandings come between us. Misunderstandings happen, but I regret how this one has affected us. Let’s talk and fix it. Forgive me if my words or actions led to any confusion. I cherish our friendship and want to make things right. I regret my actions and hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for the misunderstanding. I never intended for things to get complicated between us. Please forgive me for my part in this. Please forgive me for my part in the misunderstanding, as it was never my intention to hurt you. You mean so much to me, and I hate that this misunderstanding caused any pain. Forgive me?
Thoughtful Ways to Say Sorry for a Mistake
Offer a genuinely contrite apology to your friend for mistakes. Letting your friend know you care about how they feel is key to a good apology. Being considerate and thoughtful as you make things right can mean the difference between reconciliation and a broken friendship. Be genuine when you express how sorry you are for causing them pain with one of these caring apologies: I feel so bad for making a mistake that hurt you. That was not my intention. Please forgive me. I am deeply sorry for my mistake and the impact it had on our relationship. I’m sorry. I know I need to do more to learn from my mistakes. I hope you’ll allow me to be a better friend by giving me that chance. I made a mistake because I am a flawed human being. But I’m determined to be better. Please forgive me? Your friendship means the world to me, and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive my mistake. My biggest mistake was that all this is letting my ego come in the way of our friendship. I’m very sorry. I know saying sorry won’t reverse time and undo my mistake. But I am really sorry, and I will do anything to make it up to you. Sometimes life drags me down, and I make dumb mistakes. But that’s no reason to drag you down with me. I hope you’ll forgive me. I am truly sorry for any pain my mistake may have caused and am committed to being a better friend. I am so sorry for making you question your choice in friends. I promise I’ll never make that mistake again. My dearest friend, when pride gets in the way, it can be hard to move. I apologize for letting it take control of me. Please forgive me for my error, and know that I am truly regretful for any hurt my actions may have caused. I’m sorry I hurt you with my mistake. I promise to be more careful in the future so I’m the friend you deserve. I know I made a big mistake by being so stubborn. I promise to always give your view due importance. Please accept my apology. I apologize for the mistake I made that led to our big disagreement. Your friendship is worth more than my stupid ego. I’m sorry for the times I didn’t fully listen to you. Your thoughts and feelings matter. Let me show you how committed I am to our friendship and being a better listener. I’m so sorry for my mistake. I’m not proud of what I did and I want to make it up to you.
Short Ways to Say Sorry to a Friend
A short, simple apology to a friend are sometimes the most effective. Anderson says the most important thing is to “acknowledge their feelings and any actions on your part that may have led to those feelings.” Being direct and straightforward without making excuses might only take a few words. Choose one of these short apologies to let your friend know you truly regret what you did: I seriously regret the way I acted, and I’m so sorry for hurting your feelings, my friend. I wasn’t there for you when you needed me, and that’s not what a friend does. I’m truly sorry. I made a huge mistake, my friend. And I’m so, so sorry for hurting you. I’m so sorry for what I said. It wasn’t fair, and I completely regret it. I’m sorry for my careless mistake. You’re my dearest friend. I love you, and I hope you can forgive me. I can’t express to you how sorry I am for what I did. You didn’t deserve the way I acted at all, and I’m so sorry for causing you pain. You deserve a good friend. I know I can be that person. This whole argument was completely my fault. I’m so sorry, my friend. Sorry for my mistake, friend. Can we start anew? I messed up, and I’m taking responsibility for my actions. I’m sorry. I’m truly sorry. Let’s fix this together. I’m so sorry for what I said. It was insensitive, and I wish I could take it back. I apologize for my actions. Friends forever? I was completely wrong, and I’m going to do everything I can to earn your forgiveness. I’m so sorry. What I did was wrong, and I apologize from the bottom of my heart. Sorry for my lapse. Let’s be friends like we were before. I’m so sorry for letting you down. I'm going to do everything I can to earn back your trust. There are no words to describe how sorry I am. Please forgive me. I’m sorry, friend. Let’s not let this break us. I’m sorry for breaking my promise. Please let me make this right!”
Long Ways to Say Sorry to a Friend
Make a longer apology for more serious issues. Big offenses or complicated situations may require a longer apology. This is especially true if you feel it’s necessary to explain your actions. Just make sure you don’t use the extra words to make excuses or justify your actions. Try one of the following longer apologies to communicate your contrition to your friend: I’m sorry for yelling at you. I felt stressed from work, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you. You’re my friend and I never want to upset you. My behavior was unacceptable. I hope you can forgive me. I can’t find the words to express how sorry I am. I feel ashamed for my behavior, and I know an apology isn’t going to fix things between us… I just want to let you know that I’m deeply sorry. Hey, I wanted to apologize for saying you were gullible. I don’t know why I said it, but it definitely wasn’t okay. I know when I said that, it made you really upset, and I completely understand if you don’t want to hang out anymore. I know I can’t take back what I said, but I want to say I’m sorry. I just wanted to apologize for hurting you. I never meant to lash out at you, and I’m ashamed about how things went. I truly value our friendship, and I hope we can become friends again. I love you. I hope this apology reaches your heart the way your kindness has always reached mine. I never want to take our friendship for granted again. I’m so sorry for what I said to you on Friday. It wasn’t okay, and I feel terrible for how I made you feel. Please forgive me…your friendship means the world to me. I’m sorry for what I said to you on Friday. None of the things I said were true, and I’m so ashamed about the entire situation. You’re my closest friend, and I’m so lucky to have you in my life. Please forgive me. I’m so sorry for raising my voice to you. I never meant to upset you, and I’m working on managing my anger better. I hope you believe how regretful I am. I wanted to apologize for the comment I made today. It was uncalled for and insensitive, and I wish I could take it back. You’re an incredible friend, and there are no words to express how terrible I feel. I’m incredibly sorry. I know I made our minor disagreement even worse with my behavior. I shouldn’t be projecting my stress onto you though. It’s not right, and I’m sorry. I’m sorry for calling you annoying. There’s no excuse for what I said, and I wish I could take my words back. I’m so grateful to have you as a friend, and I’m so sorry for making you feel unappreciated.
Sweet Sorry Texts to a Friend
Add extra emotion to your apology texts with emojis. Use hearts to add a little extra loving energy to your apologies. Or try one of the many sad emojis to make it completely clear how bad you feel about what happened. However, keep in mind that emojis can make your apology seem less serious, so proceed with caution. Use one of these text messages to ask your friend for forgiveness: “I’m sorry” doesn’t seem enough, I wish I could do more. ???????? Forgive me. I haven’t been the best version of myself. I’m so sorry. ???????? I'm not just saying it, I mean it—I’m profoundly sorry. ????️❣️ Sorry means nothing without the actions to back it up. I promise to act, not just speak. ????✌️ I'm ready to make it up to you, for as long as it takes. ⏳???? I was wrong, and I’m sorry for hurting you. ???????? Our friendship means more to me than being right, I'm sorry. ????️???? I've learned that saying sorry is one of the hardest things to do, but I’m here doing it for you. ???????? Regret fills me when I think about how I let you down. ???????? I hate that I made you sad, my heart aches to make it right. ???????? My mistakes haunt me every day, and I am genuinely sorry. ????️???? Learning from my mistakes, but first, let me apologize. ???????? The best apology is changed behavior. I’m dedicated to show you I can be better. ????✨ I may not be perfect, but my apology comes from the heart. ❤️✨ True remorse is never just words, but actions to follow. ????♂️✨ Saying sorry is the first step. Restoring your trust is the journey I want to embark on. ????️????♂️ Let my apology be the bridge that rebuilds what my actions may have damaged. ???????? Apologies are the art of spiritual housekeeping. I want to clear the dust between us. ????????️ Genuine sorrow fills me, and with that, I offer you my deepest apologies. ???????? Please forgive me, I can't bear the silence between us. ???????? I'm sorry for being less than the friend you deserve. ????????
Famous Apology Quotes
Rely on the words of a famous person for an eloquent apology. Sometimes, it’s hard to come up with the right words to express the depth of your regret. Turn to famous writers and artists for an apology quote that eloquently captures how much you want to patch things up with your friend. Here are a few ways to say “I’m sorry” from the greats: Mistakes are always forgivable if one has the courage to admit them. – Bruce Lee I'm not perfect. Remember that and try to forgive me when I fail you. – Elizabeth Lowell I'm sorry I was awful. I'm so full of terrors. – Iris Murdoch Oh I’m sorry for blaming you for everything I just couldn’t do. And I’ve hurt myself by hurting you. – Christina Aguilera, “Hurt” “I'm sorry.” The two most inadequate words in the English language. – Beth Revis Not admitting a mistake is a bigger mistake. – Robert Half Each day, we have the opportunity to learn something new, apologize for our mistakes, and become better. – Lewis Howes I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm sorry that I made you cry. – John Lennon, “Jealous Guy” Never forget the nine most important words of any family: I love you. You are beautiful. Please forgive me. – H. Jackson Brown Jr. I won’t never do you wrong no more darling. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. – Wilson Pickett, “I’m Sorry About That” Let us forgive each other—only then will we live in peace.” – Leo Tolstoy If I could turn back time, if I could find a way, I’d take back those words that hurt you… – Cher, “If I Could Turn Back Time” ”If I made you feel second best, I’m so sorry. I was blind. – Pet Shop Boys, “Always on My Mind” You must tell me who I might have hurt. I have to write them an apology.” – Vivien Leigh I never meant to cause you any sorrow. I never meant to cause you any pain. I only wanted to one time to see you laughing. I only wanted to see you laughing in the purple rain. – Prince, “Purple Rain” I am the type of person who believes an apology should be sincere and from the heart.” – Camille Grammer
Delivering Your Apology
Reach out to your friend to express your remorse. If you’ve made a mistake and hurt a friend, it can be tough to be the one to reach out. But that’s exactly what you need to do to make an effective apology. If you still want to be friends, reach out even if you think what you said or did wasn’t really that bad. If your words or actions hurt your friend, you need to make an apology. Swallow your pride—or embarrassment—and make contact with your friend, even when it’s difficult . If you wait for your friend to approach you first, it may never happen. By making the first move, you’re taking a step toward saving your friendship. Try to set up a time to talk to your friend in person in a private place without distractions.
Take responsibility for what you did and ask for forgiveness. It’s not enough to say, “I’m sorry,” but that’s a good start. Say, “I want to apologize,” or “I’m really sorry” to show you’re serious about your apology. Then, acknowledge what you did specifically and ask for forgiveness. Make it clear that you understand if they need to take some time to decide if they want to forgive you. Use “I” statements to keep the focus on what you did without making excuses for your behavior and say you know it was wrong. Explain the circumstances if it’s needed without trying to justify your behavior or making any excuses. Gardner recommends trying to avoid saying things like, "I'm sorry you're upset," since that language doesn't take responsibility for the action. EXPERT TIP Gera Anderson, PsyD Gera Anderson, PsyD Licensed Clinical Psychologist Dr. Gera Anderson is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with more than five years of experience. She specializes in integrated behavioral health, neuropsychological assessment, and pain management, and has worked in community mental health settings, correctional facilities, psychiatric hospitals, and schools. Dr. Anderson received an MEd from The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and a PsyD in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. Gera Anderson, PsyD Gera Anderson, PsyD Licensed Clinical Psychologist Be honest when you take responsibility. Don't apologize for something you don't feel. If you regret your actions, apologize for your actions. If you do not regret your actions, apologize that your actions made the other person feel that way.
Listen to your friend, show empathy, and accept their response. Anderson says, “Listen patiently to the person’s reasoning for why they believe they have been betrayed by you. Then, accept any responsibility for your part in the betrayal.” Use active listening skills and let your friend talk without interrupting. Show empathy by telling them you understand why they would be upset. Active listening means giving your friend your complete attention. Make eye contact and use nodding and verbal affirmations like “mmhmm” to show you’re paying attention. Don’t think about what you want to say while they’re talking. Just let their words sink in. Restate their points to make sure you understand, and ask open-ended questions to get clarification when you need it.
Make it right and work to improve your behavior. If you caused any damage to your friend’s property, offer to repair or replace it. If the damage was emotional, making it right is often more difficult. Try explaining how you’re planning to change your behavior so they won’t cause harm again. And always make sure you follow through on your plan. In some cases, a simple hug can help to make amends. Just remember to make sure they’re okay with a hug before grabbing onto them.
Rebuilding Your Friendship
Ask your friend what you can do to regain their trust. If you don’t know what to do to make things up to your friend, ask them what they want you to do. Make sure you let them know that you never want to hurt them like that again. Then, come up with a plan together that is acceptable to both of you. Say something like, “What can I do to make things right between us?” or “How can I do things differently in the future to better respect your feelings?” It’s possible your friend may still be upset and set you an impossible task to regain their trust and continue the friendship. If that’s the case, you may need to take a break from the relationship or walk away.
Demonstrate that you’ve changed through your actions. Apologizing, expressing your genuine regret, and promising to change are important first steps. But if you don’t follow through, it can make your apology seem less meaningful and sincere. Above all, don’t hurt your friend in the same way again. Do everything you can to be a friend who’s dependable, considerate, and trustworthy. Even if your friend chooses not to forgive you, demonstrate your good character by keeping your promises to do better.
Be patient and take things slowly. If your friend needs time to think, it’s important for you to respect their wishes and give them the space they need. Sometimes, a person who has been wronged just needs time to work through their feelings to decide if they can accept your apology. If they don’t forgive you right away, all you can do is be there for them when they’re ready to be friends again.
Respect their decision if they don’t forgive you. The reality is that your friend doesn’t have to accept your apology even if it was genuine and heartfelt. They may choose to end the friendship because they feel what you did was unforgivable. However, it’s possible to move past the hurt and continue to be friends even if they don’t accept your apology. In these cases, they may be saying that a simple apology isn’t enough. It may take time and you may have to work to regain their trust.
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