ruefully
Americanadverb
-
in a mournful or doleful way.
I found myself sitting ruefully by the side of the road, near a little town in North Carolina, waiting for a tow truck.
-
in a way that suggests repentance or regret.
He is aware of his own flaws, at times ruefully so.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ruefully
Explanation
When you do something in a way that expresses regret, you’re doing it ruefully. If someone asks you about your Saturday night and you smile ruefully in response . . . well . . . you probably made some poor choices. The origin of the word ruefully is a Germanic word that means “repentance.” But over time the word has adopted a slightly humorous tone, so you can go ahead and shake your head ruefully at your friend who has just put his boot on the wrong foot — you feel a little bit sorry for him at the moment. You might grin ruefully when asked about how many pairs of shoes you bought on your trip.
Vocabulary lists containing ruefully
The Outsiders
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Lord of the Flies
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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.
The author laughs ruefully when accused of his own version of nostalgia, admitting that the version of the airport he’s created feels closer to our present-day reality.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
This is the part where seasoned soccer watchers shake their heads ruefully.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
"Let's hope maybe next year will be a better year for me," Sabalenka said ruefully.
From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026
As he stands in the rain, Mr Colton adds ruefully: "My gran thinks I'm mad."
From BBC ● Nov. 12, 2025
He got up, ruefully looked at his white breeches, shrugged, and walked over to where Johnny was diligently pinning up sheets.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
