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:
Race organizers regret the inconvenience experienced by those who were towed, Rivera wrote.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026
His one regret is that he didn’t go back to renting sooner.
From Slate ● Oct. 28, 2026
Tal said he sought to profess genuine regret without confessing something he didn’t do.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
But I don’t want to be 75 and regret that we gave it up too soon.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 24, 2026
I wasn’t crazy about cruising around the bay, and setting foot in the boat made me regret the idea of heading out to the island.
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
McHenry, who did not mention her employment status in her video, doesn’t seem to have any regrets about her behavior that night.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
Cassingham, who had sailed on the Odyssey with his wife, Kit, said that despite the uncertainty and frustration, the couple didn’t have any regrets about their life at sea.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
He had no regrets about pursuing Mamdani to the vigil.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
The spokesman said Campbell's comment "was a joke in poor taste but with no malicious intent", adding: "It's something that he deeply regrets, and the party will not be taking any further action."
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
And when elected President of the Royal Society, in 1680, he expressed his regrets that he could not take up the post because his personal religious beliefs prevented him from swearing the necessary oaths.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
Wasserman has said he regretted his correspondence with Maxwell, noting that it happened “long before her horrific crimes came to light.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2026
“She always regretted buying the items because they always end up sitting on the shelf while her bank balance just got smaller,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
He declined the opportunity, and later said he regretted passing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026
Hamilton chose soft-compound slicks and immediately regretted the decision as it became apparent that the track was still far too wet for that option.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Anya made it one street with her arms curled into her chest before she desperately regretted fleeing without her coat.
From Anya and the Nightingale by Sofiya Pasternack
She expresses profound love for the two children she has while regretting that she was forced to become a mother before she could give those children the life she believed they deserved.
From Slate ● Oct. 16, 2026
In the book, Steinem wrote that one longer-term result of the article was “realizing that all women are Bunnies. After feminism arrived in my life, I stopped regretting that I had written the article.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 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
While West Ham are celebrating their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals, Ouattara will be regretting his costly decision to try a Panenka in Monday night's tense penalty shootout after a 2-2 draw.
From BBC ● Mar. 9, 2026
“And I guess I’m regretting not figuring out real summer plans.”
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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