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
Tsukasa is 26 and feeling a little wayward, regretful about his late start in figure skating.
—
Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
Between plummeting resale values, trade-in rejections, vandalism with swastika graffiti and stickers on their cars, a growing movement of regretful Cybertruck owners are disguising their cars to avoid harassment, with some pointing their fingers directly at Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
The post quickly gained attention as people shared a variety of responses, from regretful admissions to justifications.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
Just practice the regretful smile that should accompany the refusal.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for regretful
Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 7 Mar. 2025
Between plummeting resale values, trade-in rejections, vandalism with swastika graffiti and stickers on their cars, a growing movement of regretful Cybertruck owners are disguising their cars to avoid harassment, with some pointing their fingers directly at Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 26 Feb. 2025
The post quickly gained attention as people shared a variety of responses, from regretful admissions to justifications.
—Mark Davis, Newsweek, 15 Mar. 2025
Just practice the regretful smile that should accompany the refusal.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 11 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for regretful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regretful
Adjective
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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
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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
Adjective
-
That’s the million, sorry, billion-dollar question.—
Asli Pelit,
New York Times,
21 May 2025
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Nobody is going to feel sorry for you, so keep your head up and keep moving forward.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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The slow, mournful piano chords capture the somber bite of the scene with remarkable punch yet also a sobering stillness, and that’s before the elegiac words carry the song off into the sky.—
Daniel Dylan Wray,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2025
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Wynette’s mournful lyrics about a partner who has left—will one protagonist leave the other during the game’s main campaign?—to the sound of lonely, sad acoustic country music is the flip side of Wang Chung’s carefree spirit.—
Brady Gerber,
Vulture,
7 May 2025
Adjective
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While red, inflamed skin was often seen as the norm, my flares—ranging from deep brown or purplish dry patches to clusters of tiny, itchy bumps—looked more like a disease to be feared and ashamed of rather than understood and treated.—
Raelle Kennedy,
Health,
12 May 2025
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Otherwise, higher education will transform our sons and daughters into people who feel ashamed of themselves and hate their country.—
James Unnever,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 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
-
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
-
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
-
Mourners pay respects to Pope Francis ahead of funeral Mourners from around the world pay their respects to Pope Francis at St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.—
Eryk Michael Smith,
FOXNews.com,
27 Apr. 2025
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For me, even in funeral masses of family and friends, that's the most powerful moment.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
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 27 May. 2025.
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