His smile is rueful.
Source: tatoeba (3464564)
Rueful
//ˈɹuːfl̩//
Synonyms for "rueful" (158 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (32)
Adjective(13 words)
Adjective(1 words)
Strong matches (47)
Adjective(20 words)
Related words (79)
joylesslamentablelugubriousmelancholymiserablemournfulmovingoppressedpainfulpatheticpenitentpiteouspitiablepitifulplaintiveplangentplunged in griefpoignantpoorregretful
Show 31 more words
regrettablerepentantrepiningruthfulsadsaddeningself-accusingself-condemningself-convictingself-debasingself-flagellatingself-humiliatingself-punishingself-reproachingshamefacedshamefastshamefulsharpsoresorrowedsorrowfulsorrowingsorrytearfultouchinguncomfortableunhappy aboutwistfulwoebegonewoefulwretched
Adjective(26 words)
Adjective(2 words)
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
Synonyms
1 entriesRelated terms
1 entriesderived
3 entriesderived from
1 entriesrelated to
8 entriessimilar
2 entriesTranslations
25 translations across 10 languages.
Bulgarian
2 entries- печален adj (causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow)
- плачевен adj (causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow)
Dutch
1 entries- meelijwekkend adj (inspiring pity or compassion)
Finnish
4 entries- kaduttava adj (causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow)
- katuva adj (causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow)
- katuvainen adj (causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow)
- surkea adj (inspiring pity or compassion)
Georgian
2 entries- საცოდავი adj (inspiring pity or compassion)
- საწყალი adj (inspiring pity or compassion)
German
3 entries- kläglich adj (inspiring pity or compassion)
- reuig adj (causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow)
- reumütig adj (causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow)
Māori
4 entries- kōhau adj (causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow)
- ngetengete adj (causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow)
- whakaaroha adj (inspiring pity or compassion)
- āwhitu adj (causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow)
Plautdietsch
1 entries- leet (nds) adj (causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow)
Portuguese
1 entries- recalcado adj (causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow)
Russian
4 entries- гру́стный adj (causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow)
- жа́лкий adj (inspiring pity or compassion)
- несча́стный adj (inspiring pity or compassion)
- печа́льный adj (causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow)
Spanish
1 entries- sentir lastima o compasion adj (inspiring pity or compassion)
Sample sentences
5 total sentences available.
Tom's house is in a rueful state.
Source: tatoeba (12360647)
Tom wrote a rueful letter to Mary from prison.
Source: tatoeba (12360649)
I'm not rueful about it.
Source: tatoeba (12360653)
Showing 4 of 5 available sentences.
Keep exploring
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.