as in unfortunate
of a kind to cause great distress
the explorers forged ahead despite the regrettable loss of some of their companions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of regrettable
But his draft-day trades in recent years have been particularly regrettable, a reality that was amplified on Sunday.
—
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
But the courses fuse education with promotion, selling a picture of the world where defensive gun use is a regrettable but likely occurrence, and where self-defense insurance is a necessary part of any gun owner’s tactical tool kit.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025
An hour-and-16 minute weather delay might have been the least-regrettable aspect of the Panthers’ ugly Week 1 blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at EverBank Field.
—Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
Given an even sketchier character outline, Foster — who takes the gold in a movie that’s the Olympics of bad wigs — just sails over the top, taking his cue from a wardrobe of regrettable ‘70s fashions, with chunky gold chains nestled in a thick carpet of chest hair.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for regrettable
Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 5 Oct. 2025
But the courses fuse education with promotion, selling a picture of the world where defensive gun use is a regrettable but likely occurrence, and where self-defense insurance is a necessary part of any gun owner’s tactical tool kit.
—Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 16 Sep. 2025
An hour-and-16 minute weather delay might have been the least-regrettable aspect of the Panthers’ ugly Week 1 blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday at EverBank Field.
—Diamond Vences, Charlotte Observer, 10 Sep. 2025
Given an even sketchier character outline, Foster — who takes the gold in a movie that’s the Olympics of bad wigs — just sails over the top, taking his cue from a wardrobe of regrettable ‘70s fashions, with chunky gold chains nestled in a thick carpet of chest hair.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for regrettable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regrettable
Adjective
-
Liverpool were competitive in the first half, and perhaps unfortunate to see Virgil van Dijk’s equaliser ruled out for interference from an offside position, but City pressed home their advantage through the brilliance of left-winger Jeremy Doku.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
10 Nov. 2025
-
The story takes place at a grand country house where the guests have an unfortunate habit of dying, or nearly dying, under seemingly unrelated circumstances.—
Anna Russell,
New Yorker,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
In his first interview since the tragic events in May, Cacique, a Spanish nickname given to a local boss, said the turncoats hoped to receive a reward for the capture of Robert Colina, whose alias was Pantera, Spanish for panther.—
Antonio Maria Delgado,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott joined the rest of his teammates in having a tough day Thursday after learning of the tragic death of defensive lineman Marshawn Kneeland, who took his own life at the end of a police chase in Frisco.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Regrettable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regrettable. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share