regretful
adjective
re·gret·ful
ri-ˈgret-fəl 
: full of regret : feeling or expressing regret
feeling regretful
a regretful sigh/look
… and all that the three-year difference does is make us laugh and make us regretful about our own adolescences.—
Stanley Kauffmann
Stanley Kauffmann
regretfulness
noun
Even more than 40 years after Jones' death, Richards refuses to indulge in any false sentimentality or regretfulness.
—Greg Kot
Greg Kot
Synonyms
Examples of regretful in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Oh, and Homer winds up having a videotaped threesome with a pair of immediately regretful male demons.
—Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 24 Nov. 2023
Avoid spontaneous purchases or regretful decisions when the bills arrive.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024
Making space for a few epic electric guitar riffs from her band throughout the song, Clarkson added her signature runs and unreal high notes to Stapleton’s regretful lyrics.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 22 Feb. 2024
Even as lab-diamond sales have taken off, Wegman told me, most buyers have the same approach as that regretful bride.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2024
The scenes between the two, whether flirtatious, enraged, or regretful, are uncomfortably intimate to watch; so, too, are the anxious cavortings of their children.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2023
The first four episodes of the new season, which lead up to and include Diana’s death, present her as sad, knowing, regretful, even forgiving.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2023
Meanwhile, millennials spend the most at $1,016, but are the least regretful (55%).
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2023
Nicki Minaj is still feeling regretful over her tardiness.
—Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 29 Aug. 2023
Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 24 Nov. 2023
Avoid spontaneous purchases or regretful decisions when the bills arrive.
—Eugenia Last, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024
Making space for a few epic electric guitar riffs from her band throughout the song, Clarkson added her signature runs and unreal high notes to Stapleton’s regretful lyrics.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 22 Feb. 2024
Even as lab-diamond sales have taken off, Wegman told me, most buyers have the same approach as that regretful bride.
—Amanda Mull, The Atlantic, 7 Feb. 2024
The scenes between the two, whether flirtatious, enraged, or regretful, are uncomfortably intimate to watch; so, too, are the anxious cavortings of their children.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 17 Dec. 2023
The first four episodes of the new season, which lead up to and include Diana’s death, present her as sad, knowing, regretful, even forgiving.
—Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2023
Meanwhile, millennials spend the most at $1,016, but are the least regretful (55%).
—Chloe Berger, Fortune, 19 Sep. 2023
Nicki Minaj is still feeling regretful over her tardiness.
—Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 29 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'regretful.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Regretful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regretful. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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