RUEFULLY Synonyms: 90 Similar and Opposite Words

ruefully

adverb

as in bitterly

with feelings of bitterness or grief ruefully accepted the fact that the drunk driver would never adequately pay for his crime

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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 ruefully As Chemerinsky ruefully admits, courts have deemed such suits in recent decades to be political questions outside their scope. —

David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 1 May 2026 Nikki Glaser is looking back ruefully on being eliminated first from Dancing With the Stars season 27. —

Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Apr. 2026 Defying the line in the play where Robert Shaw ruefully hopes none of his children will become actors, Ian Shaw is a veteran stage, film and TV performer, mostly taking smaller parts in the United Kingdom. —

Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 10 Mar. 2026 This last comment came from a fellow traveler, ruefully disclosing an act of self-defense many years ago. —

Tribune News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 10 Mar. 2026 Elsa / Getty Images The Atlanta Falcons’ struggles had head coach Raheem Morris ruefully quoting his former boss and friend, Mike Tomlin. —

Josh Kendall, New York Times, 2 Dec. 2025 Safdie says as Johnson laughs ruefully. —

Daniel D'addario, Variety, 12 Nov. 2025 Annoyingly, the line was all McNamara, D'Arcy points out ruefully. —

Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 18 Sep. 2025 Jon Stewart, ever the happy employee in his running joke of begrudgingly working Monday nights at The Daily Show, ruefully acknowledged being back at his post after being on vacation for over a month. —

Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ruefully

Adverb

After Adele and her mother had fought, bitterly, about her decision to keep the baby, and then more bitterly about her refusal to find Jamie in Florida and demand child support, Bromley invited her to live with him while things cooled down at home.

— Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
During the Nullification Crisis of 1831–1833, partisan journalists had a major role in framing the issue and were bitterly opposed to one another, especially in South Carolina.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 26 May 2026