repent
1 Americanverb (used without object)
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to feel sorry, self-reproachful, or contrite for past conduct; regret or be conscience-stricken about a past action, attitude, etc. (often followed byof ).
He repented after his thoughtless act.
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to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one's life for the better; be penitent.
verb (used with object)
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to remember or regard with self-reproach or contrition.
to repent one's injustice to another.
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to feel sorry for; regret.
to repent an imprudent act.
adjective
verb
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012adjective
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Other Word Forms
- repenter noun
- repentingly adverb
- unrepented adjective
- unrepenting adjective
- unrepentingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of repent1
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English repenten, from Old French repentir, from re- re- + pentir “to feel sorrow” (from Latin paenitēre “to regret, be sorry”; penitent )
Origin of repent2
First recorded in 1660–70; from Latin rēpent- stem of rēpēns “crawling,” present participle of rēpere “to crawl, creep”; perhaps akin to serpere “to creep, crawl” ( serpent ( def. ) )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
John Paul visited him in prison in December 1983, where he repented for the crime but did not specify his motives.
From Barron's
According to court reporters, his lawyer Anna Karpenko said her client "sincerely repented" and that he believed he had simply been following orders from above not to take any prisoners.
From BBC
At the time they released a statement which called on church leaders who had strayed from what they called "tenets of orthodoxy" to repent.
From BBC
Most important of all, it inverts the liberal narrative of history, in which the misdeeds of the past offer us important lessons, mistakes to be confronted, repented and transcended on the path to something better.
From Salon
He told Miller to consider the “spiritual ramifications” of his behavior under church doctrines, to repent and make restitution.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
