regretful
adjective
re·gret·ful
ri-ˈgret-fəl 
: full of regret : feeling or expressing regret
feeling regretful
a regretful sigh/look
… and all that the three-year difference does is make us laugh and make us regretful about our own adolescences.—
Stanley Kauffmann
Stanley Kauffmann
regretfulness
noun
Even more than 40 years after Jones' death, Richards refuses to indulge in any false sentimentality or regretfulness.
—Greg Kot
Greg Kot
Examples of regretful in a Sentence
gave me a regretful look when I told him we had to move my mother to a nursing home
was truly regretful that she had yelled at him
Recent Examples on the Web
Clooney’s Jay is reflective and regretful about the choices he’s made throughout his career — which have left his adult children feeling abandoned and neglected — but the film seldom paints him as cruel or even all that foolish.
—Joe Reid, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Wilson is one of the richest characters in Stamp’s oeuvre: regretful and resigned, hilarious and mournful, and deeply angry yet with flashes of tenderness.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 19 Sep. 2025
The stories were humorous and poignant, regretful and filled with silver linings.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2025
Immediately after their night together, Laurel seems regretful while John is hopeful.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for regretful
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Joe Reid, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2025
Wilson is one of the richest characters in Stamp’s oeuvre: regretful and resigned, hilarious and mournful, and deeply angry yet with flashes of tenderness.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 19 Sep. 2025
The stories were humorous and poignant, regretful and filled with silver linings.
—Victoria Gomelsky, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2025
Immediately after their night together, Laurel seems regretful while John is hopeful.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 20 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for regretful
Cite this Entry
“Regretful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regretful. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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