as in unfortunate
of a kind to cause great distress
the explorers forged ahead despite the regrettable loss of some of their companions
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Recent Examples of regrettable
Alternatively, the heat is a means to an end, either stoking our immune system to work better, or simply a regrettable, but unavoidable byproduct of fighting off an infection.
—
NPR, 27 Nov. 2025
The former Hardcore Champion then spoke about the regrettable truth of being young in the professional wrestling industry.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
Others are opting to un-celebrate and, instead, to denigrate the anniversary, following the logic of Nikole Hannah-Jones’s original introduction to the 1619 Project, which cast the Revolution as regrettable.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
Off days are regrettable but part of the game.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for regrettable
NPR, 27 Nov. 2025
The former Hardcore Champion then spoke about the regrettable truth of being young in the professional wrestling industry.
—Andrew Ravens, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025
Others are opting to un-celebrate and, instead, to denigrate the anniversary, following the logic of Nikole Hannah-Jones’s original introduction to the 1619 Project, which cast the Revolution as regrettable.
—Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
Off days are regrettable but part of the game.
—George Caulkin, New York Times, 3 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for regrettable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regrettable
Adjective
-
Toni Preckwinkle has served the city of Chicago and Cook County ably throughout her long political career and done much to make life better for the unfortunate among us.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Jan. 2026
-
French Stewart played Harry Solomon, who was known for his odd posture, nervous energy, and the unfortunate fact that alien messages arrived through his head.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Today, there are more than 80,000 amputees in Angola, a tragic legacy of 27 years of the Angolan Civil War, which ended in 2002.—
Lizz Schumer,
PEOPLE,
29 Jan. 2026
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The true story of the Von Erich wrestling family was so unrelentingly tragic that when The Iron Claw finally got made, director Sean Durkin opted to leave one brother out entirely.—
Kevin Jacobsen,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Regrettable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regrettable. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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