rue

¹

[ roo ]

verb (used with object)

, rued, ru·ing.

1. to feel sorrow over; repent of; regret bitterly:

   to rue the loss of opportunities.

2. to wish that (something) had never been done, taken place, etc.:

   I rue the day he was born.

verb (used without object)

, rued, ru·ing.

1. to feel sorrow, repentance, or regret.

noun

1. sorrow; repentance; regret.
2. pity or compassion.

rue

²

[ roo ]

noun

1. any strongly scented plant of the genus Ruta, especially R. graveolens, having yellow flowers and leaves formerly used in medicine.

rue

¹

/ ruː /

verb

1. to feel sorrow, remorse, or regret for (one's own wrongdoing, past events with unpleasant consequences, etc)

noun

1. archaic.
   sorrow, pity, or regret

rue

²

/ ruː /

noun

1. See wall rue, meadow rue, goat's-rue
   any rutaceous plant of the genus Ruta , esp R. graveolens , an aromatic Eurasian shrub with small yellow flowers and evergreen leaves which yield an acrid volatile oil, formerly used medicinally as a narcotic and stimulant Archaic nameherb of grace Compare goat's-rue meadow rue wall rue

Derived Forms

• ˈruer, noun

Other Words From

• ruer noun
• un·rued adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rue¹

before 900; (v.) Middle English ruen, rewen, Old English hrēowan; cognate with Dutch rouwen, German reuen; (noun) Middle English rewe, reowe, Old English hrēow; cognate with Dutch rouw, German Reue; ruth

Origin of rue²

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French < Latin rūta < Greek rhȳtḗ

Word History and Origins

Origin of rue¹

Old English hrēowan ; related to Old Saxon hreuwan , Old High German hriuwan

Origin of rue²

C14: from Old French, from Latin rūta , from Greek rhutē

Example Sentences

They tried to continue their getaway but had to quickly abandon their vehicle on the Rue de Meaux in the 19th.

From The Daily Beast

I went back to rue La Boétie several times, but the Picards refused to let me in.

From The Daily Beast

This was the case with M. Picard, the concierge at 21 rue La Boétie, who had worked there since 1931.

From The Daily Beast

As a result, Rue des Rosiers houses only a few kosher shops and kitschy delis, mostly dedicated to vistors rather than locals.

From The Daily Beast

This one literally takes up four corners on Rue Sherbrooke, all navigable via underground routes.

From The Daily Beast

Happening to walk down the Rue Saint Honoré, he had come upon tragedy.

From Project Gutenberg

She lay on her bed in the little room, ten feet by seven, away, away at the top of the house in the Rue Saint Honoré.

From Project Gutenberg

Charles de la Rue, a French Jesuit, died; distinguished as an orator and poet and a professor of belles-lettres.

From Project Gutenberg

And were it not that you have done me the courtesy of ferrying me over this narrow passage, you should rue your wish.'

From Project Gutenberg

It struck and injured fatally an innocent outsider, who was taken to the Charity Hospital, in the rue Jacob, and died there.

From Project Gutenberg