100 Best Apology Quotes To Help You Find The Right Words

Moumita Dutta
Dec 12, 2023 By Moumita Dutta
Originally Published on Jan 26, 2021
Edited by Jacob Fitzbright
Man apologizing to woman
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Age: 0-99
Read time: 12.0 Min

Saying I'm sorry is not an excuse to repeat yourself.

Apologies are best when it comes straight from the heart. Always say sorry when you mean it.

Saying I'm sorry to somebody you have hurt is necessary. Apologies have the ability to fix something that's broken. The right words are important because if we make an apology with an excuse, it won't do us any good.

While apologizing to someone we have hurt, we should be honest. We should always say sorry when we were at fault. We have a list of apology quotes that will make the apologizing process better.

If you like what you're reading, then check out our other quotes articles [sorry quotes] and forgive yourself quotes.

Apologies For Bad Action Quotes

Apologies can change your life and the life of the person you love.

1. “Oh I’m sorry for blaming you

For everything, I just couldn’t do.”

-Christina Aguilera, ‘Hurt’, 2006.

2. "Kelsey, in this terrifying world, all we have are the connections that we make. I'm sorry I got you fired, I'm sorry I never called you after."

-BoJack Horseman, 'Fish Out Of Water', 2016.

3. “So many things that we never will undo I know you’re sorry, I’m sorry too.”

– Bob Dylan, ‘Mississippi’, 2001.

4. “I am sorry for what has happened and I know that I need some help.”

– Susan Smith.

5. “I take full responsibility for myself and my actions. I wouldn't pawn this off on anybody. I'm sorry it happened.”

-Louie Anderson.

6. “I'm sorry for the times I would neglect

I'm sorry for the times I disrespect."

-Akon, ‘Sorry, Blame It On Me’, 2006.

7. “Is it too late to say I'm sorry now?”

-Justin Bieber, ‘Sorry’, 2019.

8. “I am sorry to tell you that I am getting very extravagant and spending all my money: and what is worse for you, I have been spending yours too.”

-Jane Austen.

9. “I hope when I’m on my deathbed, people forgive me, because there is a lot to forgive.”

– Christopher Buckley.

10. “I made a big mistake. It is indefensible and I am sorry.”

-William J. Clinton.

11. “I have made terrible mistakes that have hurt the people that I cared about the most, and I am terribly sorry. I am deeply ashamed of my terrible judgment and my actions.”

– Anthony Weiner.

12. “I'm sorry I was awful. I'm so full of terrors.”

― Iris Murdoch, ‘The Sacred And Profane Love Machine’, 1974.

Asking For Forgiveness Quotes

We sometimes end up hurting the people we heart the most. We should apologize with all our heart to the person who we love with all our heart. We have got you covered with some apology love quotes, apology quotes for him, apology quotes for her, sorry quotes, and some of the best asking for forgiveness quotes.

13. “Forgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future.”

-Paul Boese.

14. “I really want to tell you I'm sorry

I could never let you go.”

- Chicago, ‘Hard To Say I’m Sorry’, 1982.

15. “I am sorry for men who do not read the Bible every day. I wonder why they deprive themselves of the strength and pleasure.”

-Woodrow Wilson.

16. “Let us forgive each other — only then will we live in peace.”

– Leo Tolstoy.

17. “Girl, I wanna say

I'm saying that I'm sorry.”

-Ciara, ‘Sorry’, 2012.

18. “I'm sorry for the times I left you home

I was on the road and you were alone.”

-Akon, ‘Sorry, Blame It On Me’, 2006.

19. “I am sorry I have not learnt to play at cards. It is very useful in life: it generates kindness, and consolidates society.”

-Samuel Johnson.

20. “I probably owe an apology to fans that have been supportive and have not wanted to believe any of this was true.”

-George Michael.

21. "Sorry I will never know [my son]... but he will know why I died and I hope he will understand I was trying to make a world in which he could live a happier life.”

- J.K. Rowling, ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows’, 2007.

22. “I am sorry to think that you do not get a man's most effective criticism until you provoke him.”

-Henry David Thoreau.

23. “I don’t know why, I made you cry

I’m sorry sweetheart and yet

Though you shouldn’t be lenient with me

I hope you’ll forgive and forget.”

-Frank Sinatra, ‘What Can I Say After I Say I’m Sorry’.

24. “Forgive me for being so ordinary while claiming to know so extraordinary a God.”

– Jim Elliot.

25. “I am sorry that so often the biggest obstacle to God has been Christians.”

-Shane Claiborne.

26. “I want to say to each of you, simply, and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in.”

– Tiger Woods.

27. “I should have been much more responsible in how I handled myself and for that am sorry.”

-Ryan Lochte.

28. “I'm sorry Ms. Jackson (oh), I am for real

Never meant to make your daughter cry

I apologize a trillion times.”

-Outkast, ‘Ms. Jackson’, 2002.

29. “I ask the people of Connecticut for their forgiveness, I should have paid more attention to people around me and people that I trusted but I am sorry for my actions and take full responsibility.”

-John G. Rowland.

30. “I am sorry my decisions do not meet with your approval, but nevertheless, they are mine, and the consequences are also mine.”

-Rachel Caine.

31. “And throughout all eternity, I forgive you and you forgive me.”

– William Blake.

32. "I ask for your forgiveness. I feel so miserable that it’s difficult even to say sorry."

― Hwang Woo Suk.

33. “I'm sorry if this all seems a little rushed and desperate. It is.”

― Chuck Palahniuk.

Funny Apology Quotes

Apology quotes don't always have to be serious. Sometimes, it's okay to joke around with words. Here are some funny apology quotes or sorry quotes.

Apology key on keyboard

34. “Please forgive me for laughing when you fall

I'm so sorry but I never cared at all.”

-Five Finger Death Punch, ‘Walk Away’.

35. “If I’ve done anything I’m sorry for, I’m willing to be forgiven.”

– Edward Noyes Westcott.

36. “My husband doesn’t apologize. Even to Me”

– Claire Underwood, ‘House Of Cards’.

37. “I'm stupid. You're smart. I was wrong. You were right. You're the best.”

-Happy Gilmore, ‘Happy Gilmore’, 1996.

38. “Chocolate says 'I'm sorry' so much better than words.”

― Rachel Vincent.

39. “A businessman is the only man who is forever apologizing for his occupation.”

-Gilbert K. Chesterton.

40. “I am sorry for those that disagree with me because I know that they are wrong.”

-Woodrow Wilson.

41. “If you're going to do something tonight that you'll be sorry for tomorrow morning, sleep late.”

-Henny Youngman.

42. “In some families, please is described as the magic word. In our house, however, it was sorry.”

— Margaret Laurence.

43. “Never make a defense or apology before you are accused.”

― King Charles I.

44. “I’m sorry, if you were right, I’d agree with you.”

-Robin Williams.

Apologizing Quotes

We have a list of sorry quotes that will help you apologize better. Check out the list.

45. “And I felt sorry, and I have felt bad about what happened.”

-Monica Lewinsky.

46. “I am sorry I didn’t tell you the truth before. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to.”

-Anne Fortier.

47. “I am sorry to say that sometimes matters of very small importance waste a good deal of precious time.”

-William Whipple.

48. “I am sorry to upset my colleagues by saying we wasted four years in opposition, but if you do get so badly defeated as a party you do have to face up to some painful facts and you do have to change.”

-Kenneth Clarke.

49. “I don’t like it, and I’m sorry I ever had anything to do with it.”

– Erwin Schrodinger.

50. “Dear Child of God, I am sorry to say that suffering is not optional.”

-Desmond Tutu.

51. “For what it's worth, I'm sorry for everything.”

-Clint Eastwood, ‘The Mule’, 2018.

52. “I was very sorry when I found out that your intentions were good and not what I supposed they were.”

-Sitting Bull.

53. “I’m sorry for my inability to let unimportant things go, for my inability to hold on to the important things.”

– Jonathan Safran Foer.

54. “Mostly I am sorry for the way I thought of other people. Like a good general, I had treated everyone who wasn't with me as against me.”

-Lee Atwater.

55. “I'm sorry you're angry is not an apology.”

-Lisa Lutz.

56. “Apologies require taking full responsibility. No half-truths, no partial admissions, no rationalizations, no finger pointing, and no justifications belong in any apology.”

― Cathy Burnham Martin.

57. “I am sorry my life is so marred and maimed by extravagance. But I cannot live otherwise.”

-Oscar Wilde, ‘The Complete Letters Of Oscar Wilde’, 1962.

58. “I am sorry that they are finding themselves in this situation based on assurances they got from me.”

-Barack Obama.

59. “I've made apologies to people I needed to, but I can't apologise to people I don't know for things they don't understand.”

-Sienna Miller.

60. “Sorry, mom. Sorry, God.”

― Chuck Palahniuk, 'Invisible Monsters', 1999.

61. “Everything is my fault

I'll take all the blame.”

-Nirvana, ‘All Apologies’, 1993.

Sorry Doesn’t Hurt Quotes

Even if we are the first one to say sorry, it should not hurt. We have a list of such sorry quotes for you.

62. “It is always so simple, and so complicating, to accept an apology.”

― Michael Chabon.

63.“Be the hero of hearts; learn to say I’m sorry.”

― Richelle E. Goodrich

64. “Pride and ego makes a mockery of an apology.”

― T.F. Hodge.

65. “A sincere and warmly-expressed apology can produce the same effects as morphine on a suffering soul.”

― Richelle E. Goodrich, ‘Making Wishes’, 2015.

66. “Apologizing does not always mean you’re wrong and the other person is right. It just means you value your relationship more than your ego.”

– Mark Matthews.

67. “When you forgive, you free your soul. But when you say I’m sorry, you free two souls.“

– Donald L. Hicks, 'Look Into The Stillness', 2015.

68. “An apology is the superglue of life! It can repair just about anything!”

― Lynn Johnston.

69. “It isn’t always to apologize for your mistakes but doing so shows a person with a strong sense of self.”

- Byron Pulsifer.

70. “ Apology accepted. End of story.”

– Brad Goreski.

71. “The art of a sincere and heartfelt apology is one of the greatest skills you will ever learn.”

― Jeanette LeBlanc.

72. "When you realize you've made a mistake, make amends immediately. It's easier to eat crow while it's still warm."

- Dan Heist.

73. Apologize quickly when you wrong someone, because I'm sorry has no value in the grave.”

― Lakesha Ruise.

74. “An apology is saying the right thing after doing the wrong thing.”

-Vikrant Parsai.

75. “An apology given just to appease one's conscience is self-serving and better left unspoken!”

― Evinda Lepins.

76. "The ability of a person to atone has always been the most remarkable of human features."

-Leon Uris.

77. “A stiff apology is a second insult... The injured party does not want to be compensated because he has been wronged; he wants to be healed because he has been hurt.”

-Gilbert K. Chesterton.

78. “An apology is a lovely perfume; it can transform the clumsiest moment into a gracious gift.”

– Margaret Lee Runbeck.

Quotes About Apology

Plato apology quotes and apology quotes from others might help you have a better understanding of apologies. Check the list out.

79. “My life is an apology for the life of my father.”

― Kristin Cashore, ‘Fire’, 2009.

80. “Right actions in the future are the best apologies for bad actions in the past.”

- Tryon Edwards.

81. "Apologies only account for that which they do not alter."

― Benjamin Disraeli.

82. “More people should apologize, and more people should accept apologies when sincerely made.”

- Greg LeMond.

83. “I am determined to offer an apology with my death.”

– Hideki Tojo.

84. “An apology for the devil: it must be remembered that we have heard one side of the case. God has written all the books.”

- Samuel Butler.

85. "Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got."

―Robert Brault.

86. "Saying sorry to someone is hard… but putting your pride down for someone is the hardest."

– Cristina Orante.

87. “I am the type of person who believes an apology should be sincere and from the heart.”

- Camille Grammer.

88. "Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them."

-Bruce Lee.

89. “If an apology is followed by an excuse or a reason, it means they are going to commit same mistake again they just apologized for.”

– Amit Kalantri.

90. “Apologies aren't meant to change the past, they are meant to change the future.”

― Kevin Hancock.

91. “Never forget the nine most important words of any family-I love you. You are beautiful. Please forgive me.”

― H. Jackson Brown Jr.

92. “Never ruin an apology with an excuse.”

― Benjamin Franklin.

93. “In this life, when you deny someone an apology, you will remember it at the time you beg forgiveness.”

― Toba Beta.

94. “Would 'sorry' have made any difference? Does it ever? It's just a word. One word against a thousand actions.”

― Sarah Ockler.

95. “A meaningful apology is one that communicates three R's: regret, responsibility, and remedy.”

― Beverly Engel.

96. “Saying 'I’m sorry' is saying 'I love you' with a wounded heart in one hand and your smothered pride in the other.”

- Richelle E. Goodrich.

97. “One thing only I know, and that is that I know nothing'.”

― Socrates.

98. “Apologize! That's the least you can do to try to make right something you have wronged.”

― Sanhita Baruah.

99. "If God doesn't destroy Hollywood Boulevard, he owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology.”

-Jay Leno.

100. "Apology is only egotism wrong side out."

- Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly quotes for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for apology quotes then why not take a look at Christopher Robin quotes, keep calm quotes or self worth quotes?

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Written by Moumita Dutta

Bachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

Moumita Dutta picture

Moumita DuttaBachelor of Arts specializing in Journalism and Mass Communication, Postgraduate Diploma in Sports Management

A content writer and editor with a passion for sports, Moumita has honed her skills in producing compelling match reports and stories about sporting heroes. She holds a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from the Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management, Calcutta University, alongside a postgraduate diploma in Sports Management.

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