regret
Americanverb (used with object)
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regrets,
present (3rd person singular)
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regretted,
past participle, past
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regretting
present participle
noun
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regrets
plural
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a sense of loss, disappointment, dissatisfaction, etc.
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a feeling of sorrow or remorse for a fault, act, loss, disappointment, etc.
- Antonyms:
- joy
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regrets, a polite, usually formal refusal of an invitation.
I sent her my regrets.
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a note expressing regret at one's inability to accept an invitation.
I have had four acceptances and one regret.
verb
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(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to feel sorry, repentant, or upset about
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to bemoan or grieve the death or loss of
noun
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a sense of repentance, guilt, or sorrow, as over some wrong done or an unfulfilled ambition
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a sense of loss or grief
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(plural) a polite expression of sadness, esp in a formal refusal of an invitation
Usage
Regretful and regretfully are sometimes wrongly used where regrettable and regrettably are meant: he gave a regretful smile; he smiled regretfully; this is a regrettable (not regretful ) mistake; regrettably (not regretfully ) , I shall be unable to attend
Synonym Usage
Regret, penitence, remorse imply a sense of sorrow about events in the past, usually wrongs committed or errors made. Regret is distress of mind, sorrow for what has been done or failed to be done: to have no regrets. Penitence implies a sense of sin or misdoing, a feeling of contrition and determination not to sin again: a humble sense of penitence. Remorse implies pangs, qualms of conscience, a sense of guilt, regret, and repentance for sins committed, wrongs done, or duty not performed: a deep sense of remorse.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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regretfulnessnoun
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regretternoun
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regretfuladjective
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regrettableadjective
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unregrettedadjective
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unregrettingadjective
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regretfullyadverb
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regrettablyadverb
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regrettinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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regretsimple
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regretssimple
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have regrettedperfect
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has regrettedperfect
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am regrettingprogressive
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are regrettingprogressive
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is regrettingprogressive
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have been regrettingperfect progressive
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has been regrettingperfect progressive
Past
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regrettedsimple
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had regrettedperfect
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was regrettingprogressive
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were regrettingprogressive
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had been regrettingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of regret
First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English regrete, regretten (verb), from Middle French regreter, Old French, equivalent to re- re- + -greter, perhaps from Germanic ( cf. greet 2)
Explanation
To regret something is to wish it had never happened. Wish you hadn't reached for that fourth piece of chocolate cake? You regret it. Regret is often called a useless emotion, because you can only regret what has already taken place. It's too late to change things, so all that's left to do is regret. Regret can also function as a noun, as in the feeling of regret you have when you realize that you should have been nicer to your kid sister and should have not locked her into the dog crate for the afternoon. You often hear people exclaim "No regrets!" when they talk about their life choices, but we're dubious because who doesn't have at least one horrible outfit in their memory that makes them cringe with a feeling of regret?
Vocabulary lists containing regret
"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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List 14
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"Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan
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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.
See Examples For:
Time and reality have a way of changing people’s perspectives, and I suspect many people will eventually regret some of the choices they made while they were angry.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
Cofnas, speaking from Belgium in one of his first interviews since Arday’s death, said he doesn’t regret publishing his Substack post.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
"I don't regret my choice. I went to defend my land," Anton insists and tells me his friends volunteered, too.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
She said she did not regret her coverage as she would have been "failing to do the basics of my job" if she had not investigated the claims against him.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
The words tumbled from Koffi's mouth before she could stop them, and she prayed she wouldn’t regret them.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
He said he had no regrets about cooperating with the authorities in the past.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
One of my biggest regrets from my last move was not shopping around for movers.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
Now working part-time, Ken says he has "no regrets whatsoever" about his decision to sell his house and move onto the water.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
I discussed and debated life’s big questions and foundational topics with my celly: the complication of family dynamics, our greatest fears and regrets, our deepest longings for the future.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
And when elected President of the Royal Society, in 1680, he expressed his regrets that he could not take up the post because his personal religious beliefs prevented him from swearing the necessary oaths.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Asked last year if he regretted voting to confirm Kennedy, Cassidy demurred.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
I had recently told Mona, my older sister, about the caffeine liaison, and I instantly had regretted it as I glanced at her text.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
“I desperately regretted doing this kitchen renovation,” O’Neill, a Seattle homeowner and a public-relations expert, told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
In the immediate aftermath of Charlie Kirk’s death, his widow, Erika Kirk, told the second lady that she regretted not having more children, Vance recalled in his book.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Right away, I regretted walking into the house.
From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon
“I don’t like to go through life regretting anything. I want to make sure I can look back and be like, ‘Hey, I tried it out.’”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
“I don’t think anyone is regretting the wars, but maybe we’ll be sorry we didn’t do more,” Winner said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
As in the less conclusive first season, it feels engineered to deliver the characters to happy, or relatively happy, endings, and to send viewers out not regretting their investment of time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
While West Ham are celebrating their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals, Ouattara will be regretting his costly decision to try a Panenka in Monday night's tense penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026
Helen didn’t come, and though Tommy recovered, she never ceased regretting it.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
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.
