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
  • Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire honored Macy at a county Board of Supervisors meeting Wednesday, telling community leaders that her death had left his office and the wider community heartbroken.
    — Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 23 Sep. 2026
  • Daria’s heartbroken family declined to comment on her death Saturday.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Adjective
  • That’s all before setting aside the time to manage a fantasy football roster, oversee a gambling hobby, or make sure you’re fully briefed for the next all-hands—sorry, hangout—at the bar.
    — Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Skin care picks to pamper your complexion Swapping out your skin care for thicker, richer formulas in fall and winter is a prime example (sorry, had to do it) of working smarter, not harder.
    — Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of sorry
Adjective
  • But the production here betrays its economy, and the direction, by Garth Davis and Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre, remains earthbound, held down by mournful strings and devoid of color.
    — Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Tender Loving Care is a gentle, mournful, funny portrait of a family whose future is shadowed by uncertainty but tries to face life with cheeriness.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of mournful
Adjective
  • For a long time, Williams felt ashamed about having to use buy now, pay later for basic expenses.
    — Adriana Morga, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Zirin handily establishes that Zinn’s intention was to make readers feel empowered, not ashamed.
    — Barbara Spindel, Christian Science Monitor, 1 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 6-foot-3, 246-pound junior was remorseful after the game.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Olivier tortured himself over her condition, remorseful and exhausted.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of remorseful
Adjective
  • The GoFundMe, which was started to cover funeral costs, counseling and other support for the family, has raised a little over $23,000.
    — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • To Diana, who has taken over First Desk at the Park after last season’s events, River’s refusal to take bereavement leave gives her license to speak about his grandfather’s funeral arrangements with her usual cool formality.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of funeral
Adjective
  • Without becoming defensive or overly apologetic, respectfully reinforce that your decision has already been made.
    — Jasmine Johnson, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • After meeting at a society reception, Henry sets out to marry Henrietta, an endearingly clumsy, overly apologetic botanist with ambitions of discovering a new species of fern.
    — Air Mail, Air Mail, 5 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 10 Oct. 2026.

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