regret
Americanverb (used with object)
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regrets,
present (3rd person singular)
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regretted,
past participle, past
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regretting
present participle
noun
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regrets
plural
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a sense of loss, disappointment, dissatisfaction, etc.
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a feeling of sorrow or remorse for a fault, act, loss, disappointment, etc.
- Antonyms:
- joy
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regrets, a polite, usually formal refusal of an invitation.
I sent her my regrets.
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a note expressing regret at one's inability to accept an invitation.
I have had four acceptances and one regret.
verb
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(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to feel sorry, repentant, or upset about
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to bemoan or grieve the death or loss of
noun
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a sense of repentance, guilt, or sorrow, as over some wrong done or an unfulfilled ambition
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a sense of loss or grief
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(plural) a polite expression of sadness, esp in a formal refusal of an invitation
Usage
Regretful and regretfully are sometimes wrongly used where regrettable and regrettably are meant: he gave a regretful smile; he smiled regretfully; this is a regrettable (not regretful ) mistake; regrettably (not regretfully ) , I shall be unable to attend
Synonym Usage
Regret, penitence, remorse imply a sense of sorrow about events in the past, usually wrongs committed or errors made. Regret is distress of mind, sorrow for what has been done or failed to be done: to have no regrets. Penitence implies a sense of sin or misdoing, a feeling of contrition and determination not to sin again: a humble sense of penitence. Remorse implies pangs, qualms of conscience, a sense of guilt, regret, and repentance for sins committed, wrongs done, or duty not performed: a deep sense of remorse.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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regretfulnessnoun
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regretternoun
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regretfuladjective
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regrettableadjective
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unregrettedadjective
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unregrettingadjective
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regretfullyadverb
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regrettablyadverb
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regrettinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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regretsimple
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regretssimple
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have regrettedperfect
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has regrettedperfect
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am regrettingprogressive
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are regrettingprogressive
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is regrettingprogressive
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have been regrettingperfect progressive
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has been regrettingperfect progressive
Past
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regrettedsimple
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had regrettedperfect
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was regrettingprogressive
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were regrettingprogressive
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had been regrettingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of regret
First recorded in 1375–1425; Middle English regrete, regretten (verb), from Middle French regreter, Old French, equivalent to re- re- + -greter, perhaps from Germanic ( cf. greet 2)
Explanation
To regret something is to wish it had never happened. Wish you hadn't reached for that fourth piece of chocolate cake? You regret it. Regret is often called a useless emotion, because you can only regret what has already taken place. It's too late to change things, so all that's left to do is regret. Regret can also function as a noun, as in the feeling of regret you have when you realize that you should have been nicer to your kid sister and should have not locked her into the dog crate for the afternoon. You often hear people exclaim "No regrets!" when they talk about their life choices, but we're dubious because who doesn't have at least one horrible outfit in their memory that makes them cringe with a feeling of regret?
Vocabulary lists containing regret
"The Great Gatsby," Chapter 1 Vocabulary
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List 14
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"Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan
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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.
See Examples For:
Speaking to Good Morning Ulster, Borland expressed "regret" over how the society handled the situation and said they "got it wrong".
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
In Tunis, Nadia Jaouadi, 42, said she does not regret the decision she and her husband made a decade ago not to have children.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
I would imagine she knows that no single outcome is guaranteed and there is no way to live a life totally insulated from regret or misstep.
From Slate ● Aug. 11, 2026
I don’t want to do something that I will regret later.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
If I live through this war, can I live with having done nothing, or will my life be poisoned with regret?
From "The Light in Hidden Places" by Sharon Cameron
"Not really," says Brook, on suggestions of regrets over his exile from cricket's most lucrative tournament.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
The Moneyist regrets he cannot reply to questions individually,
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026
But station executives did not express regrets about dismissing Lucey, saying in a statement after her ouster: “The revitalization of ‘Good Day L.A.’ has been refreshing.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
OpenAI offers some open-weight models and Altman, its chief executive, said last year that he regrets the company’s past stance against the tools.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
I didn’t think Noelle was going to show up, so I almost didn’t come—but then I decided I didn’t want any regrets.
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
Asked last year if he regretted voting to confirm Kennedy, Cassidy demurred.
From Slate ● Aug. 7, 2026
I had recently told Mona, my older sister, about the caffeine liaison, and I instantly had regretted it as I glanced at her text.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
“I desperately regretted doing this kitchen renovation,” O’Neill, a Seattle homeowner and a public-relations expert, told MarketWatch.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
She also sidestepped questions about whether she regretted any of her decisions during the uprising.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
He knew from Doc that his mother had regretted getting involved with the military, and that she and her family had had a terrible falling out.
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
“I don’t like to go through life regretting anything. I want to make sure I can look back and be like, ‘Hey, I tried it out.’”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 2, 2026
Coady-McCombs said she had heard of customers regretting taking part in the bottomless sessions after feeling pressured by friends.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
“I don’t think anyone is regretting the wars, but maybe we’ll be sorry we didn’t do more,” Winner said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 15, 2026
As in the less conclusive first season, it feels engineered to deliver the characters to happy, or relatively happy, endings, and to send viewers out not regretting their investment of time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 16, 2026
“I didn’t come here to have you read my palm,” he said, already regretting having come.
From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
Definitions 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.
