regretful

adjective

ri-ˈgret-fəl How to pronounce regretful (audio)
Definition of regretfulnext
1
as in heartbroken
expressing or suggesting mourning gave me a regretful look when I told him we had to move my mother to a nursing home

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sorry
feeling sorrow for a wrong that one has done was truly regretful that she had yelled at him

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 regretful But even a wildly successful World Cup month might be looked back on as a regretful case of what-ifs. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026 The camera continues zooming out, revealing more segments of people, seemingly alluding to all the lives Park has destroyed in her quest for greed and power, which has ultimately left her regretful. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026 My sole interaction with the mother was calm and with good intentions, and the outcome of the encounter is regretful. — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026 And the conflict behind it all dates back to a regretful college recruitment and housing decision. — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 8 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for regretful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regretful
  1. heartbroken
  2. sorry
  3. mournful
  4. ashamed
  5. weeping
  6. remorseful
  7. funeral
  8. apologetic
Adjective
  • The woman never brought Melissa back, leaving a heartbroken Apantenco wondering what had become of her baby.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Mike Sweeney’s tutor Royals Hall of Famer Mike Sweeney was heartbroken to learn of Benzinger’s passing.
    — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Adjective
  • True, but there are other issues that rubbed me the wrong way (sorry).
    — Valerie Monroe, Allure, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The decline of Capra, in the wake of the Second World War, was a sorry spectacle.
    — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of sorry
Adjective
  • The One About Matthew Perry, a three-part docuseries, out October 27 on Netflix, is more of a celebration of celebrate Perry’s life instead of a mournful tribute or true crime drama about his death and the headline-making trial that followed.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2026
  • East Suffolk, a windblown span of marshy coastland, has a reputation for stark, mournful beauty, and for drawing creative people with a taste for isolation and escape.
    — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of mournful
Adjective
  • The wicker man’s superiority makes all the villagers feel ashamed.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Ben Affleck clearly isn’t ashamed to be a third wheel with best friend Matt Damon and his wife.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of ashamed
Adjective
  • And every day, across from them, outside the clinic, about to enter or just leaving, there were women hugging each other and weeping.
    — David Mamet, National Review, 11 Aug. 2022
  • The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
    — Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021
Definition of weeping
Adjective
  • The once-promising prodigy will grow dissolute, remorseful and resentful of his wife, who outlives him.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The 6-foot-3, 246-pound junior was remorseful after the game.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of remorseful
Adjective
  • The broadcaster reported that more than a hundred people had gathered in and around the church for a funeral procession.
    — Mohamad El Chamaa, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Talking about wills, medical wishes, funeral arrangements or who will handle the finances if a parent becomes incapacitated can feel intrusive, particularly when a parent is still healthy and independent.
    — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of funeral
Adjective
  • Orson delivered an apologetic news conference the next day and went on to even greater fame and success.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Without becoming defensive or overly apologetic, respectfully reinforce that your decision has already been made.
    — Jasmine Johnson, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of apologetic

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Cite this Entry

“Regretful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regretful. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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