1
: exciting pity or sympathy : pitiable
rueful squalid poverty … by every wayside—
John Morley
John Morley
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
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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Rueful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rueful. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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