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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of regretful
Ma and Tsai give strong performances that cast the dynamic as one not of scorn but of regretful misunderstanding.
—
Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2025
Checkout pages create friction to prevent regretful purchases.
—Jason Snyder, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Unfortunately the hardest part to this is not to live in a regretful state.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Feb. 2025
As expected, many regretful habits are attached to nighttime routines–when some productive distractions or extra comforts added to the process can at first feel like a godsend.
—Devonne Goode, Parents, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for regretful
Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2025
Checkout pages create friction to prevent regretful purchases.
—Jason Snyder, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
Unfortunately the hardest part to this is not to live in a regretful state.
—Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 27 Feb. 2025
As expected, many regretful habits are attached to nighttime routines–when some productive distractions or extra comforts added to the process can at first feel like a godsend.
—Devonne Goode, Parents, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for regretful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regretful
Adjective
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While the feline escaped unscathed, Lex admitted the incident left her heartbroken.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
-
That’s not to say Moore wasn’t heartbroken or incredibly stressed out during the wildfires.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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The original action comedy got its kicks (sorry) and laughs from his family members slowly discovering that their unassuming patriarch is actually a secret bad ass.—
Scott Phillips,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
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The grandfather also showed him the sorry sight of contemporary hedges deformed by diabolical flail trimmers that chewed the natural architecture of branches into an anarchy of twigs.—
Annie Proulx,
New Yorker,
10 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Just over two weeks after the death of his father, Ozzy Osbourne, the metal legend’s youngest child, Jack Osbourne, shared a mournful tribute on Instagram.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
6 Aug. 2025
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Ortega’s deadpan remains impeccable and her mournful gaze allows for viewer projection that goes beyond anything on the page, but Wednesday too often comes across as a piece of an ensemble at this point.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
So many of the women millennials admired were destroyed in this way, becoming objects of ridicule and embarrassment that left us feeling ashamed for our stanning.—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
6 Aug. 2025
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For those who can’t breastfeed, 52% feel judged, and 56% feel ashamed.—
Sarah Scott,
Parents,
4 Aug. 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
-
Brom understands the severity of his crimes, is remorseful and has apologized to everyone involved.—
Matthew Stolle,
Twin Cities,
2 Aug. 2025
-
Officers said Neal was remorseful during interviews.—
Silas Morgan,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 July 2025
Adjective
-
When Ozzy Osbourne was honored with a funeral procession that snaked through his hometown of Birmingham, fans covered the Black Sabbath bridge and bench with flowers, artwork, personal messages, merchandise, and more.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
7 Aug. 2025
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Fans flocked to the streets of Birmingham on July 30 for a funeral procession for Osbourne, who was later laid to rest in a private family ceremony in the city.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
5 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Those of us women on the right aren’t asking for men to become weak or apologetic, but why has strength become indistinguishable from dominance?—
Rachel Marsden,
Hartford Courant,
6 Aug. 2025
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Just by being myself and being fair and apologetic and honest.—
Jessica Radloff,
Glamour,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Regretful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regretful. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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