repine
Americanverb (used without object)
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repines,
present (3rd person singular)
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repined,
past participle, past
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repining
present participle
verb
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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repinesimple
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repinessimple
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have repinedperfect
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has repinedperfect
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am repiningprogressive
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are repiningprogressive
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is repiningprogressive
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have been repiningperfect progressive
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has been repiningperfect progressive
Past
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repinedsimple
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had repinedperfect
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was repiningprogressive
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were repiningprogressive
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had been repiningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of repine
Explanation
The verb repine describes expressing gloom or discontent. Brooding, fretful, and sad — these are the traits of people who repine at their circumstances in life. Early American poet Anne Bradstreet used repine in her well-known poem, "Upon the Burning of Our House July 10th 1666," describing how the speaker got over the loss: "And when I could no longer look, / I blest His grace that gave and took, / That laid my goods now in the dust. / Yea, so it was, and so 'twas just. / It was his own; it was not mine. / Far be it that I should repine."
Vocabulary lists containing repine
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"A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift
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“A Modest Proposal” by Jonathan Swift
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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:
We are republishing Patterson’s repine in honor of the holiday.
From Slate ● Jul. 4, 2012
But if no one agrees, the author need not repine.
From Time Magazine Archive
Must Man, the chiefest Work of Art Divine, Be doom'd in endless Discord to repine?
From Time Magazine Archive
I will not pause either to accuse or repine.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
But if I see you here I shall repine at nothing.
From The Letters of Henry James, Vol. II by Henry James
He neglects himself because he was born in his own time and so far off antiquity, which he so much admires, and repines, like a younger brother, because he came so late into the world.
From Character Writings of the 17th Century by Various
He never halts, never repines, never is puzzled, like other men; that tranquillity, full of life, that ceaseless but graceful motion, "without haste, without rest," for which we all are striving, he has attained.
From Life Without and Life Within or, Reviews, Narratives, Essays, and poems. by Margaret Fuller
She repines, her womanly nature revolts at the thought-the destiny her superstition pictured so dark and terrible, stares her in the face.
From Justice in the By-Ways, a Tale of Life by F. Colburn (Francis Colburn) Adams
A man who is cheerful and willing under difficulties will always make his way in the world, while one who repines and kicks against his fate only makes it harder for him.
From One of the 28th A Tale of Waterloo by G. A. (George Alfred) Henty
A quiet place,—"slow" is the accurate modern epithet for it—"awfully slow;" but to Dorothy a quite suitable home, at which she never repines.
From The Love Letters of Dorothy Osborne to Sir William Temple, 1652-54 by Edward Abbott Parry
Not that she repined for herself—oh no!—but the idea of her husband's wan face was like a dagger in her heart.
From Godey's Lady's Book, Vol. XLII., May 1851 by Various
What if the head, the eye, or ear repined To serve, mere engines of the ruling mind?
From The Right of American Slavery by T. W. (True Worthy) Hoit
If a monk repined at such a lot, he was to castigate himself by eating only dry bread for a week and performing 500 acts of penance.
From Byzantine Churches in Constantinople Their History and Architecture by Alexander Van Millingen
This was the only drawback to his earthly happiness; but he never repined, or let a word escape his lips, to betray the wish of his heart.
From Wilson's Tales of the Borders and of Scotland Volume 14 by Various
The simple, ingenuous and acquiescent sweetness with which she said this, was a new pang to her lover:—had she repined, had she looked ill-humoured, his task would not have been so difficult.
From Adeline Mowbray or, The Mother and Daughter by Amelia Alderson Opie
More a conscious repining at their existence, mixed with revulsion at the thought that she occasionally had to share space with them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2025
Far from repining in the sheltered world of the rectory, she was surrounded by sensational, exotic, dramatic life.
From The Guardian ● Feb. 8, 2013
It goes: Somewhere the sun is shining, Somewhere the songbirds dwell, Hush, then, thy sad repining, God lives, and all is well.
From Time Magazine Archive
When Nina discovered how much too well she had succeeded, she wept, cheered up. went away, leaving John, Mr. Ganson and Dorchester repining.
From Time Magazine Archive
Yet I have no fears now: what is done is done, there can be no repining.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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