regret

/ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/
verbnoun

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.

NWL Collins ENABLE

Verb 2 meanings

  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.

    “He regretted his words.”

  2. To feel sorry about (any thing).

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

Noun 3 meanings

  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. The amount of avoidable loss that results from choosing the wrong action.

  3. One who was invited to an event who was unable to attend, but notified the organizer of this beforehand; a nonattendee.

Definitions: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA) via Kaikki/Wiktextract

Where it comes from

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.

Similar and opposite words

Similar
ruegrievelamentaggrievebesorrowcondoledarkenengrieve

REGRET at a glance

REGRET has 6 letters and scores 7 points in Scrabble (R 1 + E 1 + G 2 + R 1 + E 1 + T 1) and 8 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #3,763 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.

Rhymes with regret

All rhymes
  • SECRET8
  • INTERPRET11
  • TURRET6
  • FRET7
  • CABARET11
  • FERRET9
  • BERET7
  • GARRET7
  • CLARET8
  • MISINTERPRET16
  • BARRET8
  • MINARET9

One letter away

Change one letter, keep the rest
  • REGREW10
  • REGLET7

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