regretted; regretting
1
a
: to mourn the loss or death of
b
: to miss very much
2
: to be very sorry for
regrets his mistakes
: to experience regret
regretter
noun
1
: sorrow aroused by circumstances beyond one's control or power to repair
2
a
: an expression of distressing emotion (such as sorrow)
b
regrets plural
: a note politely declining an invitation
Synonyms
Examples of regret in a Sentence
Verb
Don't say anything you might regret later.
I deeply regret what I said.
She does not regret leaving him.
He regrets not traveling more when he was younger.
He says he doesn't regret anything that he's done in his life.
Noun
She has no regrets about leaving him.
My greatest regret is not going to college.
To my regret, I never visited Europe.
It is with deep regret that he is announcing his resignation.
My coworker gives her regrets for not being able to attend the meeting.
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Recent Examples on the Web
Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2023
Share [Findings] Scientists trained subjects to exercise control over a single neuron, linked the hippocampus to regret, and concluded that humans smell in stereo.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 13 Sep. 2023
Boy instantly regrets saying that boy’s emotional death is equivalent to actual death.
—Jen Kim, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2023
Cortez/Associated Press Titans coach Mike Vrabel: Might regret not doing more at QB this offseason.
—Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023
The researchers proposed eight ways to get more happiness for your money:
That may be why of the 94% of Americans who spend impulsively, 64% regret their purchases, according to 2,000 people surveyed by budgeting app company YNAB in late June.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2023
Xi might regret staying away, said Stephen Collinson at CNN.
—Harold Maass, The Week, 5 Sep. 2023
Carroll hasn’t made Arizona regret the decision, batting .282/.362/.523 with 24 homers and an .885 OPS through 132 games while also playing exceptionally well in the outfield.
—Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Sep. 2023
Commentary: Angels lose 5 to waivers: Team saves chump change, likely regrets trading prospects
The Cleveland Guardians claimed three Angels pitchers, and the Cincinnati Reds took outfielder Hunter Renfroe, leaving the Halos with seller’s remorse.
—Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2023
Nancy Kruh, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
Several other people associated with the show — a director, somebody’s manager, etc. — are present for interviews, but add nothing and, like Tsuchiya, no real regrets are evident.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
Enter Email Sign Up Not long after, the chair told Inbar that, with regret, UCLA could not offer him a job.
—Michael Powell, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2023
Layover is also filled with complicated feelings that surround a sense of nostalgia, with its romanticization of the past and all its regrets.
—Michelle Hyun Kim, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2023
Instead of coming to an impassioned halt of anger or regret, Petty opts for a quick succession of staccato yelps, which land with ambivalence more than emotion.
—Jessica Gentile, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2023
But those regrets may be particularly poignant for global leaders whose actions (or lack thereof) had direct impacts on how Covid-19 spread.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 5 Sep. 2023
Some personal regrets that pushed her to swear off trends?
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2023
The reasons are all the same: too many regrets, too many apologies.
—Mike Postalakis, Spin, 5 Sep. 2023
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Verb
Payroll company Paychecks surveyed American workers and found that 80% of employees who left their jobs during The Great Resignation now regret it.
—Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2023
Share [Findings] Scientists trained subjects to exercise control over a single neuron, linked the hippocampus to regret, and concluded that humans smell in stereo.
—Rafil Kroll-Zaidi, Harper's Magazine, 13 Sep. 2023
Boy instantly regrets saying that boy’s emotional death is equivalent to actual death.
—Jen Kim, The New Yorker, 12 Sep. 2023
Cortez/Associated Press Titans coach Mike Vrabel: Might regret not doing more at QB this offseason.
—Ben Volin, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023
The researchers proposed eight ways to get more happiness for your money:
That may be why of the 94% of Americans who spend impulsively, 64% regret their purchases, according to 2,000 people surveyed by budgeting app company YNAB in late June.
—Medora Lee, USA TODAY, 8 Sep. 2023
Xi might regret staying away, said Stephen Collinson at CNN.
—Harold Maass, The Week, 5 Sep. 2023
Carroll hasn’t made Arizona regret the decision, batting .282/.362/.523 with 24 homers and an .885 OPS through 132 games while also playing exceptionally well in the outfield.
—Julian McWilliams, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Sep. 2023
Commentary: Angels lose 5 to waivers: Team saves chump change, likely regrets trading prospects
The Cleveland Guardians claimed three Angels pitchers, and the Cincinnati Reds took outfielder Hunter Renfroe, leaving the Halos with seller’s remorse.
—Sarah Valenzuela, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2023
Noun
In 1988, her fourth album produced by Dave Cobb, McKenna once again digs into personal topics that evoke a full range of powerful emotions, from regret to contentment, from fear and sorrow to hope and joy.
—Nancy Kruh, Peoplemag, 15 Sep. 2023
Several other people associated with the show — a director, somebody’s manager, etc. — are present for interviews, but add nothing and, like Tsuchiya, no real regrets are evident.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Sep. 2023
Enter Email Sign Up Not long after, the chair told Inbar that, with regret, UCLA could not offer him a job.
—Michael Powell, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Sep. 2023
Layover is also filled with complicated feelings that surround a sense of nostalgia, with its romanticization of the past and all its regrets.
—Michelle Hyun Kim, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2023
Instead of coming to an impassioned halt of anger or regret, Petty opts for a quick succession of staccato yelps, which land with ambivalence more than emotion.
—Jessica Gentile, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2023
But those regrets may be particularly poignant for global leaders whose actions (or lack thereof) had direct impacts on how Covid-19 spread.
—Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 5 Sep. 2023
Some personal regrets that pushed her to swear off trends?
—Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 6 Sep. 2023
The reasons are all the same: too many regrets, too many apologies.
—Mike Postalakis, Spin, 5 Sep. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'regret.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
Middle English regretten, from Anglo-French regreter, from re- + -greter (perhaps of Germanic origin; akin to Old Norse grāta to weep) — more at greet
First Known Use
Verb
14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun
circa 1500, in the meaning defined at sense 2a
Time Traveler
The first known use of regret was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing regret
Dictionary Entries Near regret
Cite this Entry
“Regret.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regret. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
regret
1 of 2 verb
re·gret
ri-ˈgret 
regretted; regretting
1
a
: to mourn the loss or death of
b
: to miss very much
2
: to be keenly sorry for
3
: to experience regret
regret
2 of 2 noun1
: sorrow aroused by events beyond one's control
2
a
: an expression of sorrow or disappointment
b
plural
: a note politely turning down an invitation
More from Merriam-Webster on regret
Nglish: Translation of regret for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of regret for Arabic Speakers
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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