regretfully

adverb

re·​gret·​ful·​ly ri-ˈgret-fə-lē 

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.

Synonyms of regretfully

• sadly
• sorrowfully
• bitterly
• painfully
• mournfully

Examples of regretfully in a Sentence

“I must leave now,” he said regretfully.

I must regretfully decline your invitation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Both bravely and regretfully, Daniel shared how those feelings led him to treat his friends poorly. — Claudia Levens, Journal Sentinel, 18 Nov. 2024

The polite way to decline an invite to a wedding is to wish them well, thank them for inviting you and regretfully decline. — Charna Flam, PEOPLE, 23 Oct. 2025

Teenagers look around and see adults thinking back on the year, whether wistfully, regretfully, triumphantly or gratefully. — Dr. Marlena Corcoran, Forbes.com, 29 Dec. 2025

But the situation is regretfully seeing two conflicting claims from the two parties. — Jade Gomez, People.com, 16 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

regretfully

adverb

re·​gret·​ful·​ly ri-ˈgret-fə-lē 

1

: in a way that is full of regret

I must regretfully decline your invitation

2

: I regret : we regret

regretfully, we can't go