regrettable
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- regrettableness noun
- regrettably adverb
- unregrettable adjective
Etymology
Origin of regrettable
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Middle French regret(t)able; regret, -able
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.
Dr Jack Fletcher, chair of the BMA's resident doctor committee, said: "It's very regrettable and I am very sorry to any patients who are affected by this industrial action."
From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026
One of the most regrettable absences, as Mr. Sidebottom notes, is the paucity of material on the training of gladiators in their ludi, or schools.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
It fully blamed ICE for this screwup, by the way, and stated unequivocally that “this regrettable error” had occurred because ICE counsel repeatedly gave DOJ lawyers false information.
From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026
As history has proved, titans of industry often share a regrettable tendency to make a lot of money from leveraging enthusiasm and then leaving others to clean up the mess when the markets implode.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
Poems were too close to prayer, rousing regrettable passions.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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.
