regret
[ ri-gret ]
/ rɪˈgrɛt /
verb (used with object), re·gret·ted, re·gret·ting.
to feel sorrow or remorse for (an act, fault, disappointment, etc.): He no sooner spoke than he regretted it.
to think of with a sense of loss: to regret one's vanished youth.
noun
a sense of loss, disappointment, dissatisfaction, etc.
a feeling of sorrow or remorse for a fault, act, loss, disappointment, etc.
regrets, a polite, usually formal refusal of an invitation: I sent her my regrets.
a note expressing regret at one's inability to accept an invitation: I have had four acceptances and one regret.
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RELATED WORDS
heartache, annoyance, apology, sorrow, repentance, bitterness, misgiving, contrition, grief, discomfort, heartbreak, remorse, disappointment, qualm, uneasiness, dissatisfaction, anguish, nostalgia, worry, concern
Nearby words
- regressive assimilation,
- regressive staining,
- regressive tax,
- regressively,
- regressivity,
- regretful,
- regrettable,
- regroup,
- regrow,
- regrowth
Origin of regret
SYNONYMS FOR regret
1. deplore, lament, bewail, bemoan, mourn, sorrow, grieve. 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.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for regret
regret
/ (rɪˈɡrɛt) /
verb -grets, -gretting or -gretted (tr)
(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to feel sorry, repentant, or upset about
to bemoan or grieve the death or loss of
noun
a sense of repentance, guilt, or sorrow, as over some wrong done or an unfulfilled ambition
a sense of loss or grief
(plural) a polite expression of sadness, esp in a formal refusal of an invitation
Word Origin for regret
C14: from Old French regrete, of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse grāta to weep
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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper