rueful

adjective

rue·​ful ˈrü-fəl 

1

: exciting pity or sympathy : pitiable

… rueful squalid poverty … by every wayside …

—John Morley

2

: mournful, regretful

… troubled her with a rueful disquiet.

—William Thackeray

ruefully

ˈrü-fə-lē 

adverb

ruefulness noun

Synonyms of rueful

• mournful
• weeping
• heartbroken
• funeral
• bitter
• melancholy

Examples of rueful in a Sentence

He gave me a rueful smile and apologized.

the rueful faces of friends and family who had gathered to pay their last respects

Recent Examples on the Web

This shimmering, sonorous work, from one of our greatest living directors, moves through the peculiar landscapes of human interaction with certainty, eccentricity and grace, alighting on a generous if rueful conclusion. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026

Piker’s tone was one of rueful concern, not unlike the pose adopted by anti-Semites throughout history. — Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026

The gently rueful Rosenbaums spring from Jarrell’s transforming affection for his friends. — David Denby, New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2026

The conversation is raucous, self-aware and unexpectedly rueful. — Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 4 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English rewful "expressing sorrow, grieving, pitiable, sad," from rewe "pity, sorrow, rue entry 2" + -ful -ful entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

rueful

adjective

rue·​ful ˈrü-fəl 

1

: exciting pity or sympathy

2

: mournful sense 1, regretful

ruefully

-fə-lē 

adverb