What does "repent" mean?
To feel pain, sorrow, or regret for what one has done or omitted to do; the cause for repenting may be indicated with "of".
Repent
/ɹɪˈpɛnt/ adj, verb
adj, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To feel pain, sorrow, or regret for what one has done or omitted to do; the cause for repenting may be indicated with "of".
- Grammar: repent is listed as adj, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: regret, rue, acknowledge, afterthink.
- Useful contrasts: adhere, conceal, deny.
- Usage evidence: We never repent having eaten too little.
How to use "repent"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "repent" 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 "repent" 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 "repent" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "repent" 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 "repent" is acting as adj, 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 "regret" 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 "repent", 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
Verb
- 1 To feel pain, sorrow, or regret for what one has done or omitted to do; the cause for repenting may be indicated with "of". intransitive
"Marry in haste, repent at leisure."
- 2 feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about wordnet
- 3 To be sorry for sin as morally evil, and to seek forgiveness; to cease to practice sin and to love. intransitive
"... Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel."
- 4 turn away from sin or do penitence wordnet
- 5 To feel pain on account of; to remember with sorrow. transitive
"If Aljunied decides to go that way (to vote for the Workers' Party), well Aljunied has five years to live and repent."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 To be sorry for, to regret. transitive
"I repent my sins."
- 7 To cause to have sorrow or regret. archaic, transitive
"at that time she wolde nat, she seyde, for she was syke and myght nat ryde. "That me repentith," seyde the kynge[…]."
- 8 To cause (oneself) to feel pain or regret. obsolete, reflexive
"But if that I knewe what his name hight, For clatering of me I would him ſone quight; For his falſe lying, of that I ſpake never, I could make him ſhortly repent him forever: […]"
- 9 To change one's mind. archaic, intransitive
"The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."
Adjective
- 1 Creeping along the ground.
"The pennated, repent and ferine entities of the boscage, are ousels, shellducks, […] and ursine quadrupeds."
Example
"We never repent having eaten too little."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "repent"?
Common synonyms include: regret, rue, acknowledge, afterthink, amphibian, apologize.
How do you use "repent" in a sentence?
We never repent having eaten too little.
How do you pronounce "repent"?
Pronounced /ɹɪˈpɛnt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English repenten, from Old French repentir, from Vulgar Latin *repaenitīre, from Late Latin paenitīre, from Classical Latin paenitēre. Compare Modern French repentir.
Etymology 2
From Latin rēpēns, present participle of rēpō (“I creep”).