Vocabulary     

What does regret mean?

Definitions for regret
rɪˈgrɛtre·gret

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word regret.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. sorrow, regret, rue, ruefulnessverb

    sadness associated with some wrong done or some disappointment

    "he drank to drown his sorrows"; "he wrote a note expressing his regret"; "to his rue, the error cost him the game"

  2. repent, regret, rueverb

    feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about

  3. regretverb

    feel sad about the loss or absence of

  4. regretverb

    decline formally or politely

    "I regret I can't come to the party"

  5. regretverb

    express with regret

    "I regret to say that you did not gain admission to Harvard"

Wiktionary

  1. regretnoun

    The instance of such an emotion.

  2. regretverb

    To feel sorry about (a thing that has happened), afterthink: to wish that a thing had not happened, that something else had happened instead.

    He regretted his words.

  3. regretverb

    To feel sorry about (any thing).

    I regret that I have to do this, but I don't have a choice.

  4. Etymology: From regretten, from regreter, regrater, from re- +,, from Old, and Old, from greutanan, from ghrew-, equivalent to. Cognate with grazan, grætan, greotan, gráta, 03320342033403440330033D. More at greet.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. Regretnoun

    Prior has used it in the plural; but, I believe, without authority.

    Etymology: regret, Fr. regretto, Italian.

    I never bare any touch of conscience with greater regret. Charles I .

    A passionate regret at sin, a grief and sadness at its memory, enters us into God’s roll of mourners. Decay of Piety.

    Though sin offers itself in never so pleasing a dress, yet the remorse and inward regrets of the soul, upon the commission of it, infinitely overbalance those faint gratifications it affords the senses. Robert South, Sermons.

    Never any prince expressed a more lively regret for the loss of a servant, than his majesty did for this great man; in all offices of grace towards his servants, and in a wonderful solicitous care for the payment of his debts. Edward Hyde.

    That freedom, which all sorrows claim,
    She does for thy content resign;
    Her piety itself would blame,
    If her regrets should waken thine. Matthew Prior.

    Is it a virtue to have some ineffective regrets to damnation, and such a virtue too, as shall serve to balance all our vices. Decay of Piety.

  2. To Regretverb

    Etymology: regretter, Fr. from the noun.

    I shall not regret the trouble my experiments cost me, if they be found serviceable to the purposes of respiration. Boyle.

    Calmly he look’d on either life, and here
    Saw nothing to regret, or there to fear;
    From nature’s temp’rate feast rose satisfy’d,
    Thank’d heav’n that he had liv’d, and that he dy’d. Alexander Pope.

    Those, the impiety of whose lives makes them regret a deity, and secretly wish there were none, will greedily listen to atheistical notions. Joseph Glanvill, Sceps.

Wikipedia

  1. Regret

    Regret is the emotion of wishing one had made a different decision in the past, because the consequences of the decision one did make were unfavorable. Regret is related to perceived opportunity. Its intensity varies over time after the decision, in regard to action versus inaction, and in regard to self-control at a particular age. The self-recrimination which comes with regret is thought to spur corrective action and adaptation. In Western societies adults have the highest regrets regarding choices of their education.

ChatGPT

  1. regret

    Regret can be defined as a feeling of disappointment, remorse, or dissatisfaction over something that has occurred or a choice that was made in the past. It is often accompanied by a desire or wish to change the outcome or decisions made, as a result of recognizing that a different course of action may have led to a more positive or satisfactory outcome. Regret is a common human emotion that arises from reflecting on past experiences or choices that are perceived as having negative consequences or missed opportunities.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Regret

    pain of mind on account of something done or experienced in the past, with a wish that it had been different; a looking back with dissatisfaction or with longing; grief; sorrow; especially, a mourning on account of the loss of some joy, advantage, or satisfaction

  2. Regret

    dislike; aversion

  3. Regretverb

    to experience regret on account of; to lose or miss with a sense of regret; to feel sorrow or dissatisfaction on account of (the happening or the loss of something); as, to regret an error; to regret lost opportunities or friends

  4. Etymology: [F. regretter, OF. regreter; L. pref. re- re- + a word of Teutonic origin; cf. Goth. grtan to weep, Icel. grta. See Greet to lament.]

Wikidata

  1. Regret

    Regret was a famous American thoroughbred racehorse and the first of three fillies to ever win the Kentucky Derby.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Regret

    rē-gret′, v.t. to grieve at: to remember with sorrow:—pr.p. regret′ting; pa.t. and pa.p. regret′ted.—n. sorrow for anything: concern: remorse: a written expression of regret.—adj. Regret′ful, full of regret.—adv. Regret′fully.—adj. Regret′table.—adv. Regret′tably. [O. Fr. regrater, to desire, prob. from L. re-, again, and an Old Low Ger. form, appearing in A.S. grǽtan, Goth. gretan, to weep, Scot. greet. Others explain as from L. re-, in neg. sense, and gratus, pleasing.]

Editors Contribution

  1. Regret

    "Regret" by Guy de Maupassant is a poignant short story that explores themes of love, longing, and the complexities of human relationships. The narrative centers around a woman named Désirée, who reflects on her past choices and the emotional consequences of her actions. Through Maupassant's masterful storytelling, the tale delves into the feelings of nostalgia and remorse, as Désirée confronts the impact of her regrets on her present life. The story captures the essence of fleeting happiness and the enduring weight of decisions made in the name of love.


    Submitted by acronimous on February 19, 2025  

Suggested Resources

  1. Regret

    Read the Regret book at Literature.com

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Verbs Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'regret' in Verbs Frequency: #786

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

How to pronounce regret?

How to say regret in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of regret in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of regret in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

Examples of regret in a Sentence

  1. Choi Yeong-chun:

    Win or lose, if I take on the boxer who I view as the world’s best, I’ll be satisfied with myself when I retire because I’d think I’ve fought without any regret, so that’s why I’d like to make another challenge.

  2. Benjamin Netanyahu:

    But to my regret, the election results show that this is impossible, benny, we must set up a broad unity government, as soon as today. The nation expects us, both of us, to demonstrate responsibility and that we pursue cooperation.

  3. Frenchman Mouratoglou:

    Do I regret ? No, I felt like Naomi Osaka was lost at that moment and I tried to help Naomi Osaka doing something that everybody does that is the use of the tennis, i would do the same tomorrow. Really. 100 percent.

  4. Dutchman Sebastiaan Straten:

    I sincerely regret the promises I had made to female runners that they would be able to run, and (to) the US and UK runners who were very motivated that were not able to secure their visas.

  5. Yahoo Lifestyle:

    I am so sorry, there is nothing I can say that will change what I said. I drove back up there and tried to apologize and Donut Palace employee Keaundrea Wardlaw had gone. I regret every word that I said there is no excuse to ever say these horrible things. I only hope that by me sharing a public apology in this incident you could show me some grace. I was upset about another issue and it spilled over into this and I ca n’t apologize enough.

more sentences »

Popularity rank by frequency of use

regret#10000#12121#100000

References

Translations for regret

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for regret »

Translation

Find a translation for the regret definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"regret." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LTD, 2026. Web. 23 Jul 2026. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/regret>.

Powered by CITE.ME Cite.Me

Discuss these regret definitions with the community:

    Are we missing a good definition for regret? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    regret

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Browse by letter

    #ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ 

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    the act of making a noisy disturbance
    A elaborate
    B abash
    C rumpus
    D loom

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for regret: