regret
/ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/ verb, noun
Forms regrets regretting regretted
- verb 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. “He regretted his words.”
- verb (more generally) To feel sorry about (any thing). “I regret that I have to do this, but I don't have a choice.”
- verb (archaic, transitive) To miss; to feel the loss or absence of; to mourn.
- noun 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.
- noun (obsolete) Dislike; aversion.
- noun (decision theory) The amount of avoidable loss that results from choosing the wrong action.
- noun One who was invited to an event who was unable to attend, but notified the organizer of this beforehand; a nonattendee.
Synonyms
rue grieve lament aggrieve besorrow condole darken engrieve erme gloom grieven bleed moan mourn remorse repent sigh sorrow wayment yearn ruefulness
Etymology
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.
Webster’s 1913
- 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. "A passionate regret at sin." Dr. H. More.
- Dislike; aversion. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.
- verb 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.
Etymology [F., fr. regretter. See Regret,]
Etymology [F. regretter, OF. regreter; L. pref. re- re- + a word of Teutonic origin; cf. Goth. gr to weep, Icel. gr. See Greet to lament.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “regret”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details