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:
Still, we all overtip or have moments where we pay for everyone’s meal, only to quietly regret it later.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 22, 2026
In written submissions, he said the officer accepted that his conduct had fallen "below the standard expected of him", for which he apologised and expressed regret.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
“I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family,” the statement read.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
Kuzichken, who remained in Britain under an assumed name, expressed regret over the bloodshed, although he was not surprised.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
When the public read about the incident, many shared the same regret and donated money to a fund for his defense.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
On Thursday, the athlete issued an apology on Instagram, saying she regrets not stepping off the track.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
Twenty years later, I have no regrets about any of that, but plenty of hindsight.
From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026
Hamilton lets down Claire’s savage hauteur; Mays’ eyes glisten with all the regrets of lost love.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Thomas Tuchel regrets not eating any of the grass at the Azteca Stadium after England's World Cup win against Mexico.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
Here’s a possibility: Judy already regrets telling her boyfriend about her nose job, or so Fleur says.
From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner
I asked Cramer if he regretted telling the world about medbeds.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
Asked if there was ever a point last season when he regretted the move, Isak replied: "No, never. I would never think like that."
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
Nobody has ever regretted making their manager's job easier.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
Another client told him that a year after they moved into a community where there are several data centers, they regretted it.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
The question slipped from her mouth before she could stop herself, and at once she regretted asking it.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
In the book, Steinem wrote that one longer-term result of the article was “realizing that all women are Bunnies. After feminism arrived in my life, I stopped regretting that I had written the article.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026
“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
But anyone who panicked last April and sold stocks, rushing into safer havens, likely spent the latter half of 2025 regretting their decision.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 20, 2026
“I am so regretting that I made you watch The Wire. I should’ve guessed you’d be a total doofus about it.”
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
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.
