Synonyms

regretful

American

[ri-gret-fuhl] / rɪˈgrɛt fəl /

adjective

full of regret; sorrowful because of what is lost, gone, or done.

Other Word Forms

regretfully adverb
regretfulness noun
unregretful adjective
unregretfully adverb
unregretfulness noun

Etymology

Origin of regretful

First recorded in 1640–50; regret + -ful

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.

In his letter to Labour's general secretary, Lord Mandelson said: "I have been further linked this weekend to the understandable furore surrounding Jeffrey Epstein and I feel regretful and sorry about this."

From BBC

It’s an idiosyncratic decision, no doubt also affected by the galleries’ footprint, but a regretful one.

From The Wall Street Journal

The other night, I bumped into a fellow parent at an ice cream shop and when I asked how he was, he said, with a regretful smile, “depends on the day.”

From Los Angeles Times

The DWP said it was "deeply regretful" after the inquest heard Ms Whiting "had lost hope" at the time of her death.

From BBC

The DWP said it was "deeply regretful" after the inquest heard that Ms Whiting, 42, "had lost hope" at the time of her death.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023