RUE Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

rue 1 of 2

noun

Definition of rue

as in regret

a feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing a soul filled with pain and rue

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

rue

2 of 2

verb

ˈrü

as in to regret

to feel sorry or dissatisfied about I rue the day I agreed to this stupid plan

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 rue

Noun

Sometimes the case for war’s inevitability is couched in expressions of rue and reluctance. — Elizabeth D. Samet, Foreign Affairs, 29 Oct. 2025 Native Son Hunter Brown Got Away From Tigers The Tigers rue that Brown got away. — John Perrotto, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Verb

The home fans were ruing the injuries to David Hancko and Jose Maria Gimenez, and a suspension for Marc Pubill, which saw Simeone turn to him for such a huge game. — Tim Spiers, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2026 The Cubs will rue the extra-inning opportunities more than any other on Saturday. — Andy Martinez, Chicago Tribune, 11 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for rue

Recent Examples of Synonyms for rue

Noun

Chisholm's quote came roughly 24 hours after catcher Austin Wells seemed to have no regrets about making the final out at third by attempting to stretch an eighth-inning double, the Yankees' first and only hit of Game 1, into a triple.

— Ryan Morik OutKick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Fair Ones is set in the aftermath of their longtime friend Claire’s death, as Mara and Jen, two Brooklyn women in their forties, are off kilter, cycling through shock, numbness, denial, distraction, anger, isolation, regret, depression.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of regret

Noun

Consumed by guilt, Verity acted paralyzed as penance, and to remain close to Jeremy and their remaining child.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 2 Oct. 2026
East of Eden is a tome obsessed with guilt, sin, ambition, race, the land as healing and capitalism as putrefying, the nature of fate and the question of free will, and the role money and inheritance play in either our corruption or our cleansing.

— Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of guilt

Noun

There were flashes of politics and victim blaming, judgment and shame in a case that’s rife with unanswered questions and likely to evolve as more details come to light.

— Lauren Mascarenhas, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2026
Its main goal is to name and shame businesses with ties to the settlements.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of shame

Browse Nearby Words

rudiments

rue

rued

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Rue.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rue. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of rue

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on rue

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

inscrutable

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes