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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of regretful
My regretful error was not planning to give myself enough time to properly shop.
—
Colleen McNally Arnett, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
So was recalling important, impactful, or regretful experiences from his childhood.
—Logan Smith, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
Simon is angry, regretful, and disappointed at his lack of control.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
Williams knows how to humanize this bare-bones vocabulary, minutely adjusting the voicing of a chord or caressing the last of a set of recurring motifs with a regretful ritardando.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for regretful
Colleen McNally Arnett, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2026
So was recalling important, impactful, or regretful experiences from his childhood.
—Logan Smith, CBS News, 2 Feb. 2026
Simon is angry, regretful, and disappointed at his lack of control.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 29 Jan. 2026
Williams knows how to humanize this bare-bones vocabulary, minutely adjusting the voicing of a chord or caressing the last of a set of recurring motifs with a regretful ritardando.
—Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for regretful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regretful
Adjective
-
So, understandably, they were left heartbroken after discovering the dog had escaped his yard on Chicago's Northwest Side.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
13 May 2026
-
The Beckhams, who sold their crash pad in One Museum Tower in downtown Miami, but maintain a spec house in Miami Beach, are said to be heartbroken about the estrangement.—
Madeleine Marr,
Miami Herald,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
As this page has chronicled, everything from airline turf wars and safety concerns to a sorry on-time performance went into that determination.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
-
For those wishing to hand everyone an F for not winning the Stanley Cup, sorry.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
9 May 2026
Adjective
-
The plaintive melodies are mournful yet comforting.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
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The ambient-dub duo returns with a warm and mournful new record that seems to spend most of its runtime fading in and out.—
Philip Sherburne,
Pitchfork,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Padilla and Damon’s characters are driven to near-madness over the blue spots, with Damon’s husband character accusing their son, a delightfully ashamed Andrew Dismukes.—
Rima Parikh,
Vulture,
10 May 2026
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Appraisal will rely on the extent of your Radiohead fandom and your identification with creature-characters, often crying or cowering with their head in their hands, who are unremittingly sad and ashamed and embarrassed by the barbarism of simple existence.—
Andy Battaglia,
ARTnews.com,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
In the wake of Kirk’s murder, and the high-profile punishments incurred by those who weren’t properly remorseful, Kirk morphed into one of the most widespread memes in recent memory.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
29 Apr. 2026
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Horner did not seem remorseful in the interview, Espinoza said.—
Amy McDaniel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The GoFundMe states that Maxence’s family is seeking help with funeral arrangements and other unexpected expenses following the tragedy.—
Staff Author,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
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Elba Sandoval, mother and grandmother of the victims, created a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral costs.—
Ruben Vives,
Los Angeles Times,
6 May 2026
Adjective
-
Be apologetic for the inconvenience.—
Jessica Kozuka,
Travel + Leisure,
6 May 2026
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Streep imitated how Hawn, 80, would arrive on set, always apologetic.—
Victoria Edel,
PEOPLE,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Regretful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regretful. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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