What does "regret" mean?
Emotional pain 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.
Regret
/ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Emotional pain 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.
- Grammar: regret is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: rue, sorrow, abject apology, acknowledgment.
- Useful contrasts: actual gain, apathy, approve.
- Usage evidence: When I ask people what they regret most about high school, they nearly all say the same thing: that they wasted so much time.
How to use "regret"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "regret" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "regret" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "regret" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "regret" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "regret" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "rue" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "regret", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Emotional pain 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. countable, uncountable
"What man does not remember with regret the first time he read Robinson Crusoe?"
- 2 sadness associated with some wrong done or some disappointment wordnet
- 3 Dislike; aversion. countable, obsolete, uncountable
"Is it a vertue to have some ineffective regrets to damnation, and such a Vertue too, as shall serve to ballance all our vices?"
- 4 The amount of avoidable loss that results from choosing the wrong action. countable, uncountable
"Under squared errorloss we show that there exists unique minimax regret solution for the problem of selecting the threshold."
- 5 A person invited to an event who was unable to attend, but notified the organizer of this beforehand; a nonattendee. countable, uncountable
Verb
- 1 To feel sorry about (a thing that has or has not happened), afterthink: to wish that a thing had not happened, that something else had happened instead.
"He regretted his words."
- 2 express with regret wordnet
- 3 To feel sorry about (any thing). broadly
"I regret that I have to do this, but I don't have a choice."
- 4 decline formally or politely wordnet
- 5 To miss; to feel the loss or absence of; to mourn. archaic, transitive
"He more than ever regretted his home, and with increased desire longed to see his family."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about wordnet
- 7 feel sad about the loss or absence of wordnet
Synonyms
All synonymsExample
"When I ask people what they regret most about high school, they nearly all say the same thing: that they wasted so much time."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "regret"?
Common synonyms include: rue, sorrow, abject apology, acknowledgment, affliction, anguish.
How do you use "regret" in a sentence?
When I ask people what they regret most about high school, they nearly all say the same thing: that they wasted so much time.
How do you pronounce "regret"?
Pronounced /ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/.
Etymology
From Middle English regretten, regreten, from Old French regreter, regrater (“to lament”), from re- (intensive prefix) + *greter, *grater (“to weep”), from Frankish *grātan (“to weep, mourn, lament”), from Proto-Germanic *grētaną (“to weep”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁d- (“to sound”); and Frankish *greutan (“to cry, weep”), from Proto-Germanic *greutaną (“to weep, cry”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrewd- (“to weep, be sad”), equivalent to re- + greet. Cognate with Old High German grāzan (“to cry”), Old English grǣtan (“to weep, greet”), Old English grēotan (“to weep, lament”), Old Norse gráta (“to weep, groan”), Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐌴𐍄𐌰𐌽 (grētan, “to weep”). More at greet.