rueful

adjective

rue·​ful ˈrü-fəl How to pronounce rueful (audio)
1
: exciting pity or sympathy : pitiable
rueful squalid poverty … by every waysideJohn Morley
2
: mournful, regretful
troubled her with a rueful disquietW. M. Thackeray
ruefully adverb
ruefulness noun

Examples of rueful in a Sentence

He gave me a rueful smile and apologized. the rueful faces of friends and family who had gathered to pay their last respects
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
After that excruciating miss Saturday, Sabalenka dropped her racket on the blue court and smiled a rueful smile. Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Sep. 2025 After that excruciating miss, Sabalenka dropped her racket on the blue court and smiled a rueful smile. Howard Fendrich, Mercury News, 6 Sep. 2025 On the one hand, this is simply the essence of middle England: rueful, reduced, shabby, and funny-sad in a Larkinesque way. James Wood, New Yorker, 14 July 2025 The only catharsis or healing to be found in the film comes from the titular apology, more a rueful word of caution than anything else. Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 27 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for rueful

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rueful was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Rueful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rueful. Accessed 13 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

rueful

adjective
rue·​ful ˈrü-fəl How to pronounce rueful (audio)
1
: exciting pity or sympathy
2
ruefully adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on rueful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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