repent

[ ri-pent ]

/ rɪˈpɛnt /

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See synonyms for repent on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to feel sorry, self-reproachful, or contrite for past conduct; regret or be conscience-stricken about a past action, attitude, etc. (often followed by of): He repented after his thoughtless act.

to feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one's life for the better; be penitent.

verb (used with object)

to remember or regard with self-reproach or contrition: to repent one's injustice to another.

to feel sorry for; regret: to repent an imprudent act.

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Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of repent

1250–1300; Middle English repenten<Old French repentir, equivalent to re-re- + pentir to feel sorrow (<Latin paenitēre to regret, be sorry); see penitent

OTHER WORDS FROM repent

re·pent·er, nounre·pent·ing·ly, adverbun·re·pent·ed, adjectiveun·re·pent·ing, adjective

un·re·pent·ing·ly, adverb

Other definitions for repent (2 of 2)

repent²

[ ree-puhnt, ri-pent ]

/ ˈri pənt, rɪˈpɛnt /

adjective

creeping.

Origin of repent

1660–70; <Latin rēpent- (stem of rēpēns), present participle of rēpere to crawl, creep; see -ent

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use repent in a sentence

The Economist even repented with another cover in December 2011 declaring “Africa Rising.”
How I Got Addicted to Africa (and Wrote a Thriller About It)|Todd Moss|September 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
And, eventually, who repented – famously on television during a remarkable series of interviews with David Frost.
Three Dicks: Cheney, Nixon, Richard III and the Art of Reputation Rehab|Clive Irving|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
What worries him is the idea of taking hope away from someone who has repented of a terrible deed he did decades earlier.
When Salinger Spoke Out: A Rare 1959 Public Letter Against Life in Prison|Nicolaus Mills|December 9, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“I have no doubt in my mind that these men have repented,” Barbour said in an appearance on Fox News.
Haley Barbour’s Last-Minute Pardons Hurt the GOP’s Law-and-Order Image|Linda Killian|January 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Hindley claimed to have repented and this is why Longford campaigned against her life sentence, she explains.
Antonia Fraser on Her Wild Marriage|Amanda Foreman|November 8, 2010|DAILY BEAST
And the others, not knowing that he had that day repented, sat at their distance and tried to form no conclusion.
The Homesteader|Oscar Micheaux
Be sure, dear Mrs Allcraft, that having repented, you are pardoned and reconciled to your Father.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
How bitterly she repented having sacrificed so much, out of a foolish sense of gratitude to his father.
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie
I repented directly the false step was taken, but, like a true Briton, I was too proud to go back.
The World Before Them|Susanna Moodie
Eric, with real shame, observed the pained uneasiness of her manner, and bitterly repented his share in the transaction.
Eric, or Little by Little|Frederic W. Farrar

British Dictionary definitions for repent (1 of 2)

repent¹

/ (rɪˈpɛnt) /

verb

to feel remorse (for); be contrite (about); show penitence (for)he repents of his extravagance; he repented his words

Derived forms of repent

repenter, noun

Word Origin for repent

C13: from Old French repentir from re- + pentir to be contrite, from Latin paenitēre to repent

British Dictionary definitions for repent (2 of 2)

repent²

/ (ˈriːpənt) /

adjective

botany lying or creeping along the ground; reptantrepent stems

Word Origin for repent

C17: from Latin rēpere to creep

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

repent

Origin of repent

OTHER WORDS FROM repent

Other definitions for repent (2 of 2)

Origin of repent

Words related to repent

How to use repent in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for repent (1 of 2)

Derived forms of repent

Word Origin for repent

British Dictionary definitions for repent (2 of 2)

Word Origin for repent