regret

American  

[ri-gret] / rɪˈgrɛt /

verb (used with object)

regretted, regretting

1. to feel sorrow or remorse for (an act, fault, disappointment, etc.).

   He no sooner spoke than he regretted it.

   Synonyms:

   grieve, sorrow, mourn, bemoan, bewail, lament, deplore

   Antonyms:

   rejoice

2. to think of with a sense of loss.

   to regret one's vanished youth.

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noun

1. a sense of loss, disappointment, dissatisfaction, etc.

2. a feeling of sorrow or remorse for a fault, act, loss, disappointment, etc.

   Antonyms:

   joy

3. regrets, a polite, usually formal refusal of an invitation.

   I sent her my regrets.

4. a note expressing regret at one's inability to accept an invitation.

   I have had four acceptances and one regret.

regret British  

/ rɪˈɡrɛt /

verb

1. (may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to feel sorry, repentant, or upset about

2. to bemoan or grieve the death or loss of

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noun

1. a sense of repentance, guilt, or sorrow, as over some wrong done or an unfulfilled ambition

2. a sense of loss or grief

3. (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

Related Words

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

• regretful
  adjective
• regretfully
  adverb
• regretfulness
  noun
• regrettable
  adjective
• regrettably
  adverb
• regretter
  noun
• regrettingly
  adverb
• unregretted
  adjective
• unregretting
  adjective

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?

Example Sentences

Bush later expressed regret to the Chinese over the incident.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

McLaughlin's lawyer Paul Mullen told the court his client was genuinely remorseful and had told a social worker: "I regret every bit of this".

From BBC • May 13, 2026

We regret having to relate such details, but it is crucial to remember when the understandable human impulse is to forget such horrors.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

Still, Saunders noted, retailers might come to regret those increases as other costs increasingly eat into consumers’ buying power.

From MarketWatch • May 12, 2026

“As Agatha Swanburne once said, ‘Doing one’s best is never cause for regret.’

From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood

Related Words

• anguish
• annoyance
• apology
• bitterness
• concern
• contrition
• disappointment
• discomfort
• dissatisfaction
• grief
• heartache
• heartbreak
• misgiving
• nostalgia
• qualm
• remorse
• repentance
• sorrow
• uneasiness
• worry