regret

[ ri-gret ]
/ rɪˈgrɛt /

verb (used with object), re·gret·ted, re·gret·ting.

to feel sorrow or remorse for (an act, fault, disappointment, etc.): He no sooner spoke than he regretted it.
to think of with a sense of loss: to regret one's vanished youth.

noun

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

Origin of regret

1300–50; Middle English regretten (v.) < Middle French regreter, Old French, equivalent to re- re- + -greter, perhaps < Germanic (cf. greet2)

SYNONYMS FOR regret

1 deplore, lament, bewail, bemoan, mourn, sorrow, grieve. 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 WORDS FROM regret

re·gret·ter, noun re·gret·ting·ly, adverb un·re·gret·ted, adjective un·re·gret·ting, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH regret

begrudge regret resent (see synonym study at the current entry)

Example sentences from the Web for regret

British Dictionary definitions for regret

regret
/ (rɪˈɡrɛt) /

verb -grets, -gretting or -gretted (tr)

(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

Derived forms of regret

Word Origin for regret

C14: from Old French regrete, of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse grāta to weep

usage for regret

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