What Is the Meaning of SOZ?

This slang terms is virtually unrecognizable for the word it represents

Illustration of SOZ appearing in a chat bubble on a smartphone

Elise Moreau / Lifewire

SOZ is internet slang for Sorry.

As you can see, SOZ isn't an acronym. It's actually just a slang word. And since this isn't a slang word you often hear spoken out loud in everyday conversation, it probably looks extra strange to most people.

How SOZ Is Used

SOZ can be used anytime a person feels the need to apologize for some kind of mistake they made. Since it's such an informal way of saying sorry, it's best reserved for casual apologies involving minor mistakes rather than major ones.

The casual nature of SOZ also makes it useful for apologizing in a sarcastic manner. Someone might use SOZ for a humorous effect in any situation that shouldn't typically require an apology.

Examples of SOZ in Use

Example 1

  • Friend #1: "Hey why didn't you show up at the library? I waited for over an hour!"
  • Friend #2: "Soz."

In this first example, SOZ is used as a standalone response. Friend #2 has nothing more to say to Friend #1 other than this one slang word as a way to acknowledge and apologize for their mistake.

Example 2

  • Friend #1: "How was your trip?"
  • Friend #2: "It was a lot of fun but was so soz I didn't even think to bring bug spray."

This second example shows a different way SOZ can be used by inserting it into a sentence. Friend #2 decides to use it to describe the regret they felt about a decision they didn't make.

Example 3

  • Friend #1: "You could've been a lot nicer and friendlier yesterday meeting my new bf."
  • Friend #2: "Well soz I'm not perfect..."

In this final example, you can see how SOZ can be used sarcastically. Friend #2 uses SOZ to apologize for something that typically shouldn't require an apology (being imperfect). 

Slang Terms Similar to SOZ

SOZ isn't exactly one of the easiest slang words to interpret and there are many other variations that might be better choices. These include:

SRY: An abbreviation for sorry. This one is a lot easier to interpret than SOZ just by looking at it.

SOWEE: A different slang word for sorry that replaces the "R" sound with a "W" sound to create an innocent, childlike tone. It's still much easier to interpret than SOZ is.

SOWY: Just another way to write SOWEE. Still sounds the same and again is quite easy to interpret.

SNS: Sorry Not Sorry. This phrase is often used when an apology would be the socially acceptable way to respond to someone, but in actuality, the apologizer is not genuinely sorry at all.

SLR: Sorry Late Reply. This phrase is used to apologize for taking a longer than necessary to reply to a text, a chat, a private message, an online comment or some other form of communication that requires a response.