rue
1[ roo ]
/ ru /
Save This Word!
verb (used with object), rued, ru·ing.
to feel sorrow over; repent of; regret bitterly: to rue the loss of opportunities.
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.
to feel sorrow, repentance, or regret.
noun
sorrow; repentance; regret.
pity or compassion.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
Origin of rue
1before 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, nounun·rued, adjectiveOther definitions for rue (2 of 2)
rue2
[ roo ]
/ ru /
noun
any strongly scented plant of the genus Ruta, especially R. graveolens, having yellow flowers and leaves formerly used in medicine.
Compare rue family.
Origin of rue
21350–1400; Middle English <Middle French <Latin rūta<Greek rhȳtḗ
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use rue in a sentence
The lady, however, continues inexorable; and Peyre de Ruer takes the habit of a pilgrim and wanders about the country.
The Romance of Biography (Vol 1 of 2)|Anna Jameson
British Dictionary definitions for rue (1 of 2)
rue1
/ (ruː) /
verb rues, ruing or rued
to feel sorrow, remorse, or regret for (one's own wrongdoing, past events with unpleasant consequences, etc)
noun
archaic sorrow, pity, or regret
Derived forms of rue
ruer, nounWord Origin for rue
Old English hrēowan; related to Old Saxon hreuwan, Old High German hriuwan
British Dictionary definitions for rue (2 of 2)
rue2
/ (ruː) /
noun
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 stimulantArchaic name: herb of grace Compare goat's-rue, meadow rue, wall rue
Word Origin for rue
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