RUE Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

rue 1 of 2

noun

Definition of rue

as in regret

a feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing a soul filled with pain and rue

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rue

2 of 2

verb

ˈrü

as in to regret

to feel sorry or dissatisfied about I rue the day I agreed to this stupid plan

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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 rue

Noun

Native Son Hunter Brown Got Away From Tigers The Tigers rue that Brown got away. — John Perrotto, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025 Just like Hamlet, one who bathes in melancholia, Juicy wears his rue with a difference. — David John Chávez, Mercury News, 4 Apr. 2025

Verb

The home fans were ruing the injuries to David Hancko and Jose Maria Gimenez, and a suspension for Marc Pubill, which saw Simeone turn to him for such a huge game. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2026 The Cubs will rue the extra-inning opportunities more than any other on Saturday. — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rue

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rue

Noun

The weird, vaguely threatening statement doesn’t lay the groundwork for a productive night, so naturally the vibes are just all off as the boys hang, so much so that Christian regrets planning it altogether.

— Tom Smyth, Vulture, 9 July 2026
But the filmmaker proves more interested in interrogating that ethos than recreating it, and few horror mythologies are better suited to exploring betrayal and regret than one built around the refusal to let the dead remain dead.

— Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 July 2026

Definition of regret

Noun

Even some fans in Mexico express remorse about the wave of anti-Argentine sentiment — much of which has been playing out, sometimes crudely, online.

— Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026
Brody also cited the former stockbroker Patten's remorse for his crime of securities fraud, and his history of seizures, which included two in February and May, as other reasons for a non-prison sentence.

— Dan Mangan, CNBC, 15 July 2026

Definition of remorse

Noun

The instinct in every one of these cases is to freak out, to fire off denials and go quiet, and that instinct is almost always the wrong one, since silence reads as guilt and panic reads as relevance.

— Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
Burkhart chose not to testify in the guilt-innocence trial phase or at the punishment hearing.

— Emerson Clarridge, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 July 2026

Definition of guilt

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rudiments

rue

rued

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“Rue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rue. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of rue

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verb

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