Expressing or feeling sorrow for wrongdoing; contrite (adjective)
Looking for the answer to the USA Today Rootonym clue “Expressing or feeling sorrow for wrongdoing; contrite (adjective)”? The solution is PENITENT, a 8-letter word built on the root PEN (“pain, punishment”). It appeared in the July 19, 2026 (Sunday) USA Today Rootonym. See the full puzzle for that day's other words.
Answer
PENITENT
PEN*****PENmeans “pain, punishment”
In a sentence
Danny was truly PENITENT when his baseball broke the neighbor's windowpane.
About this clue
The Rootonym clue “Expressing or feeling sorrow for wrongdoing; contrite (adjective)” has the answer PENITENT (8 letters), built on the root PEN, which means “pain, punishment”. Browse the full July 19, 2026 Rootonym puzzle for the other three words, or see all Rootonym answers.