rue

¹ American  

[roo] / ru /

verb (used with object)

rued, ruing

1. to feel sorrow over; repent of; regret bitterly.

   to rue the loss of opportunities.

2. to wish that (something) had never been done, taken place, etc..

   I rue the day he was born.

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verb (used without object)

rued, ruing

1. to feel sorrow, repentance, or regret.

noun

1. sorrow; repentance; regret.

2. pity or compassion.

rue ² American  

[roo] / ru /

noun

1. any strongly scented plant of the genus Ruta, especially R. graveolens, having yellow flowers and leaves formerly used in medicine.

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rue ¹ British  

/ ruː /

verb

1. to feel sorrow, remorse, or regret for (one's own wrongdoing, past events with unpleasant consequences, etc)

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noun

1. archaic sorrow, pity, or regret

rue ² British  

/ ruː /

noun

1. Archaic name: herb of grace.  any rutaceous plant of the genus Ruta , esp R. graveolens , an aromatic Eurasian shrub with small yellow flowers and evergreen leaves which yield an acrid volatile oil, formerly used medicinally as a narcotic and stimulant Compare goat's-rue meadow rue wall rue

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Other Word Forms

• ruer noun
• unrued adjective

Etymology

Origin of rue¹

before 900; (v.) Middle English ruen, rewen, Old English hrēowan; cognate with Dutch rouwen, German reuen; (noun) Middle English rewe, reowe, Old English hrēow; cognate with Dutch rouw, German Reue; ruth

Origin of rue²

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French < Latin rūta < Greek rhȳtḗ

Example Sentences

In their first game since the sacking of Ruben Amorim on Monday, Fletcher was left to rue his side's finishing and their luck.

From Barron's

England take three late wickets but are left to rue five dropped catches as Australia close on 378-6 at stumps on day two of the second Ashes Test in Brisbane.

From BBC

Newcastle, though, will rue the manner of that second Tottenham equaliser.

From BBC

As they discuss the niceties and textual flaws of the classics they love as much as life itself, Stoppard’s playfulness is tinged with rue; the older man cannot prevent the younger’s heartbreak to come.”

From Los Angeles Times

"Why did they forget me?" rued Cano, one of hundreds of women affected by a breast cancer screening scandal in the southern region's public health system that has shocked the country.

From Barron's