regret

American  

[ri-gret] / rɪˈgrɛt /

verb (used with object)

regretted, regretting

1. to feel sorrow or remorse for (an act, fault, disappointment, etc.).

   He no sooner spoke than he regretted it.

   Synonyms:

   grieve, sorrow, mourn, bemoan, bewail, lament, deplore

   Antonyms:

   rejoice

2. to think of with a sense of loss.

   to regret one's vanished youth.

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noun

1. a sense of loss, disappointment, dissatisfaction, etc.

2. a feeling of sorrow or remorse for a fault, act, loss, disappointment, etc.

   Antonyms:

   joy

3. regrets, a polite, usually formal refusal of an invitation.

   I sent her my regrets.

4. a note expressing regret at one's inability to accept an invitation.

   I have had four acceptances and one regret.

regret British  

/ rɪˈɡrɛt /

verb

1. (may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to feel sorry, repentant, or upset about

2. to bemoan or grieve the death or loss of

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noun

1. a sense of repentance, guilt, or sorrow, as over some wrong done or an unfulfilled ambition

2. a sense of loss or grief

3. (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

Related Words

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

• regretful adjective
• regretfully adverb
• regretfulness noun
• regrettable adjective
• regrettably adverb
• regretter noun
• regrettingly adverb
• unregretted adjective
• unregretting adjective

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 ( greet ² )

Example Sentences

Wasserman has previously apologized for his correspondence with Maxwell and expressed regret for having any association with both her and Jeffrey Epstein.

From Los Angeles Times

While she said Monday she doesn’t regret the comments, she has also had to take a break from social media to focus on her remaining competitions at the Olympics.

From Los Angeles Times

"Expressing regret for causing offence is not the same as acknowledging the wider impact of words used. Leadership requires accountability as well as openness to debate."

From BBC

I feel a growing dissatisfaction, a rift that I deeply regret.

From Barron's

He said Myhrvold knew Epstein because he attended TED conferences and regretted that he ever met him.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• anguish
• annoyance
• apology
• bitterness
• concern
• contrition
• disappointment
• discomfort
• dissatisfaction
• grief
• heartache
• heartbreak
• misgiving
• nostalgia
• qualm
• remorse
• repentance
• sorrow
• uneasiness
• worry