rueful

[ roo-fuhl ]
See synonyms for rueful on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. causing sorrow or pity; pitiable; deplorable: a rueful plight.

  2. feeling, showing, or expressing sorrow, repentance, or regret: the rueful look on her face.

Origin of rueful

1
First recorded in 1175–1225, rueful is from the Middle English word reowful; see rue1, -ful

Other words from rueful

  • rue·ful·ly, adverb
  • rue·ful·ness, noun
  • half-rue·ful, adjective
  • un·rue·ful, adjective
  • un·rue·ful·ness, noun

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

How to use rueful in a sentence

  • The Emperor did allow himself a moment of ruefulness when he conceded that the people he was leaving might feel “let down.”

  • "Or than me either, I'm afraid," he added, with a ruefulness that was not ill-tempered.

    Tristram of Blent | Anthony Hope
  • "They will all laugh at me," sighed the subdued Annie, with comical ruefulness.

    A Houseful of Girls | Sarah Tytler
  • "I am not so sure of that," he said with pretended ruefulness, feeling in the breast pocket of his shirt.

    The Song of the Wolf | Frank Mayer
  • "Ah, yes; he has excellent common-sense," Lady Agatha echoed, with a ruefulness which made Mary laugh suddenly.

    Mary Gray | Katharine Tynan
  • In the midst of his ruefulness the doctor, a capable-looking man of five and thirty, entered the room.

    Septimus | William J. Locke

British Dictionary definitions for rueful

rueful

/ (ˈruːfʊl) /


adjective
  1. feeling or expressing sorrow or repentance: a rueful face

  2. inspiring sorrow or pity

Derived forms of rueful

  • ruefully, adverb
  • ruefulness, noun

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