rue

1
[ roo ]
See synonyms for: ruerued on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),rued, ru·ing.
  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.

verb (used without object),rued, ru·ing.
  1. to feel sorrow, repentance, or regret.

noun
  1. sorrow; repentance; regret.

  2. pity or compassion.

Origin of rue

1
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;cf. ruth

Other words from rue

  • ruer, noun
  • un·rued, adjective

Other definitions for rue (2 of 2)

rue2
[ roo ]

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

Origin of rue

2
1350–1400; Middle English <Middle French <Latin rūta<Greek rhȳtḗ

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use rue in a sentence

  • Out of one of the huts, again bound hand and foot, Mr. Rued was being carried by six stalwarts.

    Caybigan | James Hopper
  • Zip—the liana was cut with a big jackknife, and the widow, gurgling and choking, was bending over the luckless Mr. Rued.

    Caybigan | James Hopper

British Dictionary definitions for rue (1 of 2)

rue1

/ (ruː) /


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

noun
  1. archaic sorrow, pity, or regret

Origin of rue

1
Old English hrēowan; related to Old Saxon hreuwan, Old High German hriuwan

Derived forms of rue

  • ruer, noun

British Dictionary definitions for rue (2 of 2)

rue2

/ (ruː) /


noun
  1. 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: Archaic name: herb of grace Compare goat's-rue, meadow rue, wall rue

Origin of rue

2
C14: from Old French, from Latin rūta, from Greek rhutē

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