regretfully

adverb

re·gret·ful·ly | \ ri-ˈgret-fə-lē

Definition of regretfully

1 : with regret : in a regretful way had to regretfully decline the invitation speaking/sighing regretfully Having said all that, I must also say, regretfully, that "The Road to Mecca" seemed somehow unsatisfying to me, though I'm not sure why.— Mimi Kramer

2 —used to say that something is regretted Regretfully, I won't be able to help.

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Examples of regretfully in a Sentence

“I must leave now,” he said regretfully. I must regretfully decline your invitation.

Recent Examples on the Web DeWine, who regretfully admitted to having talked on his phone while driving in the past, called for a change in culture to make the use of phones while driving unacceptable. — al, "Ohio woman nearly dies in Alabama distracted-driving wreck, takes fight home," 13 Feb. 2020 Many people will see this as such a story and for that reason, this narrative is one that is, regretfully, evergreen. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Monica Lewinsky Is Producing FX's Impeachment: American Crime Story," 7 Aug. 2019 The most telling reason for its rejection came from Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin, who had campaigned pushing the plan but who regretfully noted that the taxpayers of Vermont couldn’t afford it. — Stephen Horwitz, WSJ, "BernieCare Is Expensive, but So Are the Alternatives," 18 Oct. 2018 Without the Board's prior knowledge, regretfully, the delegation included one Israeli officer. — Niraj Warikoo, Detroit Free Press, "Dearborn mosque considers banning Israeli military from entering," 19 May 2018 Three times this has happened to me; once, regretfully, the charge was led by Herr Doktor, who at least was playing a practical joke. — Marc Peruzzi, Outside Online, "The Unwritten Rules of Sportsmanship," 15 May 2018 Aaron Rodgers was, regretfully, our second outright miss of the season. — Kevin Acee, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Assessing PFD's analysis so far after Aaron Rodgers misstep," 19 Oct. 2017 However, the entertainment on the pitch might regretfully be overshadowed by events in the stands by the behaviour of visiting supporters, . — SI.com, "Racist Chants from AS Roma Fans Mars Entertaining UCL Encounter at Stamford Bridge," 19 Oct. 2017 Following the breakup, the father of six headed to Las Vegas, where he’s regretfully turned to a life of gambling. — Dana Rose Falcone, PEOPLE.com, "Teen Mom OG Star Amber Portwood's Ex Says He's 'Paying the Price' for Botching Relationship," 18 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'regretfully.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.