1
as in heartbroken
expressing or suggesting mourning
gave me a regretful look when I told him we had to move my mother to a nursing home
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sorry
feeling sorrow for a wrong that one has done
was truly regretful that she had yelled at him
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of regretful
Just practice the regretful smile that should accompany the refusal.
—
Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2025
The story line is primarily a way to explore Annie’s insecurities, with Hughie made to feel guilty and regretful about his dalliance with the doppelgänger instead of ever getting to process his own reaction to the revelation.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
Neither damning nor satiric, W. is oddly wistful, almost regretful — rare sentiments in a Stone film.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2025
Reubens is candid and perhaps regretful about some of his controlling behavior on the show, and its eventual demise; ditto some of the choices made on Big Top Pee-Wee.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for regretful
Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2025
The story line is primarily a way to explore Annie’s insecurities, with Hughie made to feel guilty and regretful about his dalliance with the doppelgänger instead of ever getting to process his own reaction to the revelation.
—Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 21 Feb. 2025
Neither damning nor satiric, W. is oddly wistful, almost regretful — rare sentiments in a Stone film.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 17 Feb. 2025
Reubens is candid and perhaps regretful about some of his controlling behavior on the show, and its eventual demise; ditto some of the choices made on Big Top Pee-Wee.
—Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for regretful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regretful
Adjective
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After everyone left, her husband apologized for his mother’s absence and thanked her for her hard work, but the experience left her heartbroken.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
8 May 2025
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Stacy Melo, an east Arlington resident, told the City Council that she was left heartbroken and shocked the last time TotalEnergies came before council.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
8 May 2025
Adjective
-
Sonos is very, very sorry for ruining your speaker system.—
Boone Ashworth,
Wired News,
9 May 2025
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Arnold said the band is sorry they were forced to cancel their summer tour, which was set to kick off on May 15 at Daytona Beach and travel across America, co-headlining with Creed for select shows.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
8 May 2025
Adjective
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That consistency was perhaps why, despite the Warriors’ stunning Game 1 win, the tone of their postgame interviews was at times mournful rather than celebratory.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
7 May 2025
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One aspect is the story that is told, which is a very mournful story of a mother losing a child and then abandoning herself to the river as the child was.—
Nick Romano,
EW.com,
6 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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His brave and brilliant mother, who suffered from Alzheimer’s and died in 1962 of a cerebral hemorrhage, would have been shocked and ashamed.—
Richard D. Mahoney,
JSTOR Daily,
30 Apr. 2025
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Vietnam had been a taboo—something to be ashamed of.—
Jennifer Brookland,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.—
David Mamet,
National Review,
11 Aug. 2022
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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The men should have been there, looking remorseful, but during the first two hearings at which a total of 23 men were charged, only two came in person.—
Wendy Murphy,
Boston Herald,
27 Mar. 2025
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Gayle’s attorney, Diane Gonzalez, told McClatchy News that Gayle was remorseful and broke down on the stand when testifying.—
Olivia Lloyd,
Miami Herald,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The obituary adds that a visitation service is set for Tuesday, April 29, and a funeral mass is set for Wednesday, April 30.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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The announcement follows a weekend of prayer and reflection at the Vatican, where world leaders and the faithful gathered on Saturday for a funeral mass.—
Phoebe Natanson,
ABC News,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Will has so much defensiveness, but Caleb has a sort of an apologetic sense about him.—
Ronda Racha Penrice,
HollywoodReporter,
13 May 2025
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The four-time major winner was suitably apologetic and empathetic to Musetti’s plight.—
Tim Ellis,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Regretful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regretful. Accessed 17 May. 2025.
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