regret

1 of 2

verb

re·​gret ri-ˈgret How to pronounce regret (audio)
regretted; regretting

transitive verb

1
a
: to mourn the loss or death of
b
: to miss very much
2
: to be very sorry for
regrets his mistakes

intransitive verb

: to experience regret
regretter noun

regret

2 of 2

noun

1
: sorrow aroused by circumstances beyond one's control or power to repair
2
a
: an expression of distressing emotion (such as sorrow)
b
regrets plural : a note politely declining an invitation
Choose the Right Synonym for regret

sorrow, grief, anguish, woe, regret mean distress of mind.

sorrow implies a sense of loss or a sense of guilt and remorse.

a family united in sorrow upon the patriarch's death

grief implies poignant sorrow for an immediate cause.

the inexpressible grief of the bereaved parents

anguish suggests torturing grief or dread.

the anguish felt by the parents of the kidnapped child

woe is deep or inconsolable grief or misery.

cries of woe echoed throughout the bombed city

regret implies pain caused by deep disappointment, fruitless longing, or unavailing remorse.

nagging regret for missed opportunities

Examples of regret in a Sentence

Verb Don't say anything you might regret later. I deeply regret what I said. She does not regret leaving him. He regrets not traveling more when he was younger. He says he doesn't regret anything that he's done in his life. Noun She has no regrets about leaving him. My greatest regret is not going to college. To my regret, I never visited Europe. It is with deep regret that he is announcing his resignation. My coworker gives her regrets for not being able to attend the meeting.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
But while many have regretted buying their Pelotons or even their homes, those who installed the bathroom fixture at the height of the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020 are far from remorseful. Rachel Kurzius, Washington Post, 18 Mar. 2024 Instead, the silver-haired grandfather regrets not pushing even harder to raise awareness during his more than four decades of trying to warn the world about the dangers of climate change. USA TODAY, 17 Mar. 2024 Looking back, McCluskey didn’t regret not becoming more well known. Chris Willman, Variety, 15 Mar. 2024 Mitchell took the deal — and immediately regretted it. Journal Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2024 Monday’s end-to-end game could have gone either way, though Ronaldo will likely regret his staggering miss in the second half which could have seen Al-Nassr progress to the semifinals. George Ramsay, CNN, 12 Mar. 2024 When the actress eventually cheats in golf, lies to redeem handicap benefits and gets the best tee times through NSFW ways, David regrets advocating for her membership. Esther Kang, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 There was the path exemplified by Robert Wilson, who didn’t leave the Manhattan Project and later regretted it. Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 County Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer’s cavalier attitude about regretting her vote for San Diego Imam Taha Hassane’s appointment to the Leon Williams Human Rights Commission is one example. Doris Bittar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2024
Noun
Sydney Sweeney has no regrets about Madame Web and sees the film as a catalyst for other projects. Lexy Perez, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Mar. 2024 Having spoken openly about his diagnosis with advanced blood cancer, currently in remission, Neill gives depth to a man looking back on his life with regret, even if Stan doesn’t process or express it in the healthiest ways. Alison Herman, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 Hypnotized by the image, Romeo felt a pang of regret. Thomas Curwen, Los Angeles Times, 13 Mar. 2024 So all the regret was like, Well, other people are watching Game of Thrones. Fortune Editors, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2024 San Francisco is a city of Robert Wilsons, give or take the regret. Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Two volunteers, Tracy Schlapp and Daniel Wilson, had launched a writing workshop that resulted in an anthology of meditations on beauty, regret, and confinement. Grant Stringer, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Mar. 2024 Choi has no regrets about her new career path and hopes to open a breaking center in New York City at some point after the Games. Sean Gregory, TIME, 5 Mar. 2024 On February 29, Biden returned to the site of another regret: the southern border. Matthew Continetti, National Review, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'regret.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English regretten, from Anglo-French regreter, from re- + -greter (perhaps of Germanic origin; akin to Old Norse grāta to weep) — more at greet

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

circa 1500, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of regret was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near regret

Cite this Entry

“Regret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regret. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

regret

1 of 2 verb
re·​gret ri-ˈgret How to pronounce regret (audio)
regretted; regretting
1
a
: to mourn the loss or death of
b
: to miss very much
2
: to be keenly sorry for
3
: to experience regret

regret

2 of 2 noun
1
: sorrow aroused by events beyond one's control
2
a
: an expression of sorrow or disappointment
b
plural : a note politely turning down an invitation
regretful adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on regret

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