Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To feel sorry, disappointed, distressed, or remorseful about.
- intransitive verb To remember with a feeling of loss or sorrow; mourn.
- intransitive verb To feel regret.
- noun A feeling of sorrow, disappointment, distress, or remorse about something that one wishes could be different.
- noun A sense of loss and longing for someone or something gone or passed out of existence.
- noun A courteous expression of regret, especially at having to decline an invitation.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To look back at with sorrow; feel grief or sorrowful longing for on looking back.
- To grieve at; be mentally distressed on account of: as, to
regret one's rashness; to regret a choice made. - Synonyms To rue, lament. See
repentance . - noun Grief or trouble caused by the want or loss of something formerly possessed; a painful sense of loss; desire for what is gone; sorrowful longing.
- noun Pain or distress of mind, as at something done or left undone; the earnest wish that something had not been done or did not exist; bitterness of reflection.
- noun Dislike; aversion.
- noun An expression of regret: commonly in the plural.
- noun A written communication expressing sorrow for inability to accept an invitation.
- noun Synonyms Concern, Sorrow, lamentation.
- noun Penitence, Compunction, etc. See
repentance .
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To experience regret on account of; to lose or miss with a sense of regret; to feel sorrow or dissatisfaction on account of (the happening or the loss of something)
- noun Pain of mind on account of something done or experienced in the past, with a wish that it had been different; a looking back with dissatisfaction or with longing; grief; sorrow; especially, a mourning on account of the loss of some joy, advantage, or satisfaction.
- noun obsolete Dislike; aversion.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb To
feel sorry about (a thing that has happened),afterthink : towish that a thing hadnot happened , that something else had happened instead. - verb more generally To feel sorry about (any thing).
- noun The
instance of such anemotion .
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb feel sad about the loss or absence of
- verb express with regret
- verb feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about
- verb decline formally or politely
- noun sadness associated with some wrong done or some disappointment
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Support
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Examples
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Our main regret is that the Tory leader didn't look to Margaret Thatcher as his role model as well.
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My main regret is that I hardly ever finish my projects.
Superhero Nation: how to write superhero novels and comic books » Avi’s Second Review Forum 2009
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My main regret is that finances didn't extend to a print run.
To be fair... editormum 2007
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There's Chairman Mao: "The word regret was not in his dictionary," according to "The Private Life of Chairman Mao," by Li Zhisui, who was Mao's private physician for more than 20 years.
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Citi Field, Dickey (8-5) reflected on what he called the regret factor in baseball and how he had none after Friday night's game.
NYT > Home Page 2010
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So perhaps "regret" is not the word you were looking for?
BSFA Nomination Hal Duncan 2010
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The only thing I regret is that I lost a whole year of Infontavil benefits.
American already married to Mexican National moving to Mexico 2009
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My only regret is I won't be able to read anything else new by him.
MIND MELD: What Book Introduced You to Science Fiction? 2009
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But to answer the question properly - what are we missing out on - my own regret is that I don't get to read French steampunk!
June 2009 2009
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Sometimes I would think good for me I followed my path and didnt turn back in regret or wonder to far from my career path.
The not so straight and narrow Beth McC. 2009
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The term “divorce regret” has been circulating recently after golfer Rory McIlroy called his marriage off and then back on.
Will you marry me (again)?: the rise of ‘divorce regret’ Amelia Abraham 2024
abraxaszugzwang commented on the word regret
http://www.qwantz.com/index.pl?comic=727
February 1, 2007
afredricks commented on the word regret
I regret not telling you earlier.
May 13, 2009
bilby commented on the word regret
's okay.
May 13, 2009
similasan commented on the word regret
to feel sorry
May 14, 2009
sarahlena commented on the word regret
for example: I regret that Phillip didn't come to the Party; it was too bad
May 14, 2009
kayo commented on the word regret
to feel sorry
May 14, 2009
ayuko commented on the word regret
I regret that I didn't go to the party.
May 14, 2009
whichbe commented on the word regret
I regret taking candy from that baby.
May 14, 2009
rie commented on the word regret
*to feel sorry about something that we have done already
I regret that I didn't watch that movie.
May 14, 2009
rolig commented on the word regret
Regrets? I have a few, but then again, too few to mention.
May 14, 2009
plethora commented on the word regret
But did you do it your way, rol?
May 14, 2009
rolig commented on the word regret
I did what I had to do, and did it all to get attention.
May 14, 2009
nuxiy commented on the word regret
I have never really been bothered by one of these :o
May 14, 2009
plethora commented on the word regret
Did you also see it through without exemption?
May 14, 2009
rolig commented on the word regret
No, that was Frank.
May 15, 2009
marky commented on the word regret
do u have regrets?
June 19, 2011