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
Created in 2019 by Eastbound & Down's Danny McBride, the filthy HBO comedy centers around a family of corrupt, fast-talking televangelists led by John Goodman's aging and regretful Eli Gemstone.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 5 May 2025
As a holistic therapist, she’s unfortunately seen this issue come up time and time again: individuals who overshare too soon, confuse emotional exposure with connection, and later feel raw, misunderstood, or regretful.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 21 Apr. 2025
Checkout pages create friction to prevent regretful purchases.
—Jason Snyder, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for regretful
Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2025
Created in 2019 by Eastbound & Down's Danny McBride, the filthy HBO comedy centers around a family of corrupt, fast-talking televangelists led by John Goodman's aging and regretful Eli Gemstone.
—Randall Colburn, EW.com, 5 May 2025
As a holistic therapist, she’s unfortunately seen this issue come up time and time again: individuals who overshare too soon, confuse emotional exposure with connection, and later feel raw, misunderstood, or regretful.
—Dominique Fluker, Essence, 21 Apr. 2025
Checkout pages create friction to prevent regretful purchases.
—Jason Snyder, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for regretful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regretful
Adjective
-
The most painful part, the tragedy of our lives, was that Brenda was heartbroken.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
30 Sep. 2025
-
This isn't the first time the internet has been left heartbroken when a dog didn't want to play.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
But let’s see what happens when Mississippi State takes its show on the road in a game of significance (sorry, Southern Miss).—
Matt Hayes,
USA TODAY,
3 Oct. 2025
-
Neal Rubin Lynn Blasey feels sorry for her alligator, a reptile who is also a fish out of water.—
NEAL RUBIN,
Freep.com,
1 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The atmosphere at Charlie Kirk's memorial in Glendale, Arizona, is anything but mournful.—
Amanda Castro
Mandy Taheri
Peter Aitken,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Sep. 2025
-
So mournful the distant owl in Black Brooks.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, Sami, a city boy ashamed of his roots, arrives for a relaxing weekend on his family farm.—
Christopher Vourlias,
Variety,
27 Sep. 2025
-
On a basic human level, the mayor should be ashamed of himself.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
26 Sep. 2025
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
-
The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
-
During her sentencing, Javice appeared remorseful, according to several reports.—
Sydney Lake,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
-
While the lyrics seem remorseful, Cardi’s only regrets are for him.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Copeland’s mother, Maria Copeland, posted about her daughter’s funeral arrangements on Facebook.—
Caroline Zimmerman,
Kansas City Star,
25 Sep. 2025
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The boy was identified as Jeremiah Gonzalez on the page, which his family started to help with funeral costs.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
His tone was elegiac, but not apologetic.—
Beth Lew-Williams,
New Yorker,
13 Sep. 2025
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In a few short years, my plaintive, pleading tone would seem awkward and apologetic, compared to the confrontational calls on campuses for a free Palestine from the river to the sea, or Kneecap’s concert criticisms.—
Philip Metres
August 27,
Literary Hub,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Regretful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regretful. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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