regret
Americanverb (used with object)
-
regrets,
present (3rd person singular)
-
regretted,
past participle, past
-
regretting
present participle
noun
-
regrets
plural
-
a sense of loss, disappointment, dissatisfaction, etc.
-
a feeling of sorrow or remorse for a fault, act, loss, disappointment, etc.
- Antonyms:
- joy
-
regrets, a polite, usually formal refusal of an invitation.
I sent her my regrets.
-
a note expressing regret at one's inability to accept an invitation.
I have had four acceptances and one regret.
verb
-
(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to feel sorry, repentant, or upset about
-
to bemoan or grieve the death or loss of
noun
-
a sense of repentance, guilt, or sorrow, as over some wrong done or an unfulfilled ambition
-
a sense of loss or grief
-
(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
-
regretfulnessnoun
-
regretternoun
-
regretfuladjective
-
regrettableadjective
-
unregrettedadjective
-
unregrettingadjective
-
regretfullyadverb
-
regrettablyadverb
-
regrettinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
regretsimple
-
regretssimple
-
have regrettedperfect
-
has regrettedperfect
-
am regrettingprogressive
-
are regrettingprogressive
-
is regrettingprogressive
-
have been regrettingperfect progressive
-
has been regrettingperfect progressive
Past
-
regrettedsimple
-
had regrettedperfect
-
was regrettingprogressive
-
were regrettingprogressive
-
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
List 14
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
Knowing the evidence does not make us immune to fear or regret.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
Iranians expressed regret at the return to hostilities.
From Barron's ● Sep. 3, 2026
“I accept full responsibility for lapses in judgment by people within my inner circle and regret the distraction this situation has caused the fans and my family,” Leonard’s statement read.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Both women had turned in their family’s silver, and both expressed regret over the time it took to complete the task.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026
And I didn’t want to make her regret the gesture by staying out too long.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
I’m certain everyone who stuck it out in Queens will say they have zero regrets, though they’re probably asleep under a desk right now.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
Rosanne deeply regrets the cancellation and looks forward to rescheduling appearances.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2026
Among my many regrets is that his illness meant that I didn’t have the opportunity to tell him that.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
Reader Aaron Rupert wrote that he regrets not having one in his previous marriage of 17 years.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 8, 2026
He regrets hurting Rudi's feelings, but he tells himself that the words are for Rudi's own good.
From "The Boy Who Dared" by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
“I saw the Lilith Fair documentary last year and got FOMO, I kind of regretted not playing” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
As a young Beatle, Paul McCartney signed a songwriting deal that he regretted for decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026
As outrage grew, he later said he regretted his statement.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
"I don't know what they'll do with it, but I have regretted that, because it was a really good song!" she joked.
From Barron's ● Aug. 26, 2026
It wasn’t until two moves ago—when we left Blessed, Alabama—that I regretted leaving.
From "Hope Springs" by Jaime Berry
“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
“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
Orna Donath's study also finds that for some, regretting motherhood is a feeling that never goes away.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2026
“Yes. But right now I’m really regretting it.”
From "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz
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.
