regret

Meaning

Verb

1. To feel sorry about (a thing that has or has not happened), afterthink: to wish that a thing had not happened, that something else had happened instead.
2. To feel sorry about (any thing).
3. To miss; to feel the loss or absence of; to mourn.

Noun

1. Emotional pain 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.
2. (obsolete) Dislike; aversion.
3. The amount of avoidable loss that results from choosing the wrong action.

Synonyms

sorrow

repent

remorse

rue

be sorry

repentance

sorry

feel sorrow

grieve

lament

feel sorry

deplore

mourn

compunction

be sad

disappointment

reluctance

grief

be sorrowful

repent of

penitence

sadness

contrition

feel remorse

pity

be sorry about

anguish

miss

bewail

begrudge

ruefulness

sorrowfulness

woe

pain

resent

feel sad

remorseful

be depressed

yearn for

be grieved

dissatisfaction

attachment

clean

complain

complaint

penance

unhappiness

feel sorry for

I regret that

deficient

hate

😡

be disconsolate

be melancholic

bitterness

chagrin

lamentation

pine away

quick-tempered

reflect

reform

regard

regretfulness

regrets

relief

revulsion

rueful

sadden

sentiment

shamefulness

sigh

spare

suspense

sympathy

think a pity

tristesse

trouble

umbrage

unhappy

☹️

unwillingness

vexation

want

woefulness

yearn

be melancholy

be vexed

correct oneself

feel pain

humble oneself

look aside

sorry for

take to heart

be penitent

feel bitter

matter for regret

lean to one side

lingering affection

resipiscence

shame

feel sorry for the loss

cause to repent

have a feeling of remorse

be contrite

be penitent for

be sorry to grudge

wofare

gainbite

agenbite

ache

repetance

affliction

anger

💢

anxiety

anxious

apology

aversion

bad luck

be disappointed

be sorry for

bewilderment

blame

care

closefisted

commiserate

commiserations

condolence

consternation

delight

deplorable

deploring

despondence

despondency

disconsolation

disenchantment

disgust

disgusted

disheartenment

disillusionment

dismay

displeasure

distress

dolefulness

do penance

downhearted

downheartedness

fright

frustration

gloom

grievance

grudge

grumble

hanker

hatred

heartache

hunger

languish

long

moan

mourn for

mourning

mourn over

need

oppose

penitent

pine

plaint

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: regretten

Cognate with Old High German: grāzan

Cognate with Old English: grǣtan

Cognate with Old English: grēotan

Cognate with Old Norse: gráta

Cognate with Gothic: 𐌲𐍂𐌴𐍄𐌰𐌽

In summary

From Middle English regretten, regreten, from Old French regreter, regrater (“to lament”), from re- (intensive prefix) + *greter, *grater (“to weep”), from Frankish *grātan (“to weep, mourn, lament”), from Proto-Germanic *grētaną (“to weep”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁d- (“to sound”); and Frankish *greutan (“to cry, weep”), from Proto-Germanic *greutaną (“to weep, cry”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrewd- (“to weep, be sad”), equivalent to re- + greet. Cognate with Old High German grāzan (“to cry”), Old English grǣtan (“to weep, greet”), Old English grēotan (“to weep, lament”), Old Norse gráta (“to weep, groan”), Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐌴𐍄𐌰𐌽 (grētan, “to weep”). More at greet.