regret

pronunciation

How to pronounce regret in British English: UK [rɪˈɡret]word uk audio image

How to pronounce regret in American English: US [rɪˈɡret] word us audio image

  • Noun:
    sadness associated with some wrong done or some disappointment
  • Verb:
    feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about
    feel sad about the loss or absence of
    decline formally or politely
    be sorry

Word Origin

regret
regret: [14] The origins of regret are not altogether clear, but it may mean etymologically ‘weep over again’. It was borrowed from Old French regreter, which could have been based on a prehistoric Germanic verb *grētan ‘weep’ (source of archaic English greet ‘weep’).
regret (v.)
"to look back with distress or sorrowful longing; to grieve for on remembering," late 14c., from Old French regreter "long after, bewail, lament someone's death; ask the help of" (Modern French regretter), from re-, intensive prefix (see re-), + -greter, possibly from Frankish or some other Germanic source (compare Old English grætan "to weep;" Old Norse grata "to weep, groan"), from Proto-Germanic *gretan "weep." "Not found in other Romance languages, and variously explained" [Century Dictionary]. Related: Regretted; regretting. Replaced Old English ofþyncan, from of- "off, away," here denoting opposition, + þyncan "seem, seem fit" (as in methinks).
regret (n.)
"pain or distress in the mind at something done or left undone," 1530s, from the verb, or from Middle French regret, back-formation from regreter (see regret (v.)).

Synonym

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n.

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Example

1. Many industrialists in so paulo now regret that .
2. The money would leave behind only regret .
3. My only regret was that I didn 't rob the church .
4. China 's leaders may soon regret their encouragement .
5. We very much regret the error .

more: >How to Use "regret" with Example Sentences