rue
1[ roo ]
/ ru /
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.
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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
ru·er, nounun·rued, adjectiveWords nearby rue
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for ruer (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 ruer (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
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