regret
Americanverb (used with object)
noun
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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:
Looking back, I really regret that I didn’t demand proof of serious wrongdoing before reporting so much on allegations of serious wrongdoing.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
“Nino said he had come to regret deeply the tone of his Obergefell dissent and its personal references. He apologized for being intemperate,” Kennedy wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
This disconnect between math and gut instinct reveals that the game isn’t actually just about numbers — it’s about utility and regret, which has sparked an animated discussion in the comments.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
"If you have the money and you've been lucky enough to book, I don't think you would regret seeing it in Imax 70mm," Metro film critic Tori Brazier said.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
There are the usual suspects: I love you, I hate you, I’m pregnant, I’m dying, I regret to tell you that this country is at war.
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
The new levies received swift condemnation from target countries, with Japan saying it "regrets" the duties and Australia's trade minister calling them "unjustified."
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
McElwee refuses to scrub the truth from his personal histories, choosing instead to confront his own regrets head-on.
From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026
Rubli deeply regrets taking the therapist’s advice, but says she blames herself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Amnesty International UK has said it regrets publishing a report which classed a sexual violence support centre set up by JK Rowling in Edinburgh as "anti-rights".
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Tjaden regrets that we wasted the gnawed pieces of bread on the rats.
From "All Quiet on the Western Front: A Novel" by Erich Maria Remarque
I quickly regretted my words after I cradled Cosmo in my arms to unsuccessfully calm him down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
But she started rethinking the estrangement years later, and regretted taking the advice, after having children of her own.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Cher Arabalo, a former Denver sheriff captain, said she moved to the town in 2022 and promptly regretted it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026
She danced and sinned and regretted and atoned, and then contradicted herself by doing it all over again.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
I also regretted it once Jay released her wrath.
From "On the Come Up" by Angie Thomas
"None of this is beer-proof let alone waterproof," says Prof Damian Bailey, with only the briefest flicker of somebody regretting their life choices.
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 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
Orna Donath's study also finds that for some, regretting motherhood is a feeling that never goes away.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
I walk along the track, squinting against the bright sunlight, already regretting my words to Effie.
From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins
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.
