Word of the Day

: July 19, 2015

rue

verb ROO

What It Means

: to feel regret, remorse, or penitence for

rue in Context

I rue the day I agreed to serve on this committee.

"While times do change, they don't always change for the best; Sheldon rues that Sundays are no longer a church-dominated day in many Christian denominations." - Carolyn Bostick, Observer-Dispatch (Utica, New York), April 18, 2015

Did You Know?

If you remember your high school French, or if you've ever strolled down the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, you may have the notion that the English word rue is somehow connected to the French word for "street." In actuality, the French and English words are not related at all. The English rue is originally from the Old English word hrēow, meaning "sorrow." Used as both a noun (meaning "regret, sorrow") and, more frequently, a verb, rue is very old, dating back to before the 12th century.