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

• agonizingly
• bitterly
• dolefully
• dolorously
• grievously
• hard
• hardly
• inconsolably
• lugubriously
• mournfully
• painfully
• plaintively
• resentfully
• ruefully
• sadly
• sorely
• sorrowfully
• unhappily
• wailfully
• woefully
• wretchedly

Examples of regretfully in a Sentence

“I must leave now,” he said regretfully.

I must regretfully decline your invitation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Colin has been rather bland in the first two seasons, and regretfully Newton's performance hasn't done much to give him life. —Kelly Lawler, USA TODAY, 16 May 2024

The new city manager, who makes a fraction of her predecessor, has regretfully received some very ugly messages. —Teri Sforza, Orange County Register, 18 June 2024

Your email included a list of insecticides used that do give control but regretfully not all the pests are eliminated. —Tom MacCubbin, Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2024

Yet even among Americans opposed to a punitive approach, it’s become common to sigh regretfully, lament that affordable housing is in short supply, and point out that unhoused people often turn down shelter — so what can cities really do? —Rachel M. Cohen, Vox, 29 May 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