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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of regretful
A day later, Harbaugh wasn’t so much as regretful as he was discontented.
—
Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 18 Nov. 2024
He's earned this opportunity by growing into what appears to be a good young man after being, like many of us, a youth full of regretful decisions.
—Phil Hay, The Athletic, 3 Aug. 2024
The r/Anxiety subreddit is filled with folks who report feeling panicky, empty, regretful, or guilty as day transitions to night.
—Lauren Mazzo, SELF, 16 Oct. 2024
The irony is that songwriter Ezra Koenig and his buddies can’t relinquish memories, which inform, on the transportive B-side, the most somber, regretful music of their career.
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for regretful
Brian Wacker, Baltimore Sun, 18 Nov. 2024
He's earned this opportunity by growing into what appears to be a good young man after being, like many of us, a youth full of regretful decisions.
—Phil Hay, The Athletic, 3 Aug. 2024
The r/Anxiety subreddit is filled with folks who report feeling panicky, empty, regretful, or guilty as day transitions to night.
—Lauren Mazzo, SELF, 16 Oct. 2024
The irony is that songwriter Ezra Koenig and his buddies can’t relinquish memories, which inform, on the transportive B-side, the most somber, regretful music of their career.
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for regretful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regretful
Adjective
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The record for the shortest Oscar-winning performance goes to Beatrice Straight, who played the heartbroken wife of a philandering TV station president in Sidney Lumet’s 1976 film Network.—
Jordan Runtagh,
People.com,
2 Mar. 2025
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Listen to this article Skokie restaurateurs were left heartbroken on Valentine’s Day when a broken water main disaster in northeastern Skokie left the village without drinkable tap water from Feb. 14 through 16.—
Richard Requena,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The two would compete against each other in a contest that tested both brains and brawn (sorry, beauty tribe).—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
27 Feb. 2025
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Its latest victory came at San Mamés on Sunday—a 7-1 thrashing of sorry Real Valladolid.—
Henry Flynn,
Forbes,
25 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Brown’s sound design mixes Sousa-like military fanfares with mournful underscoring for Lavinia’s tragedy, neither of which has much to do with Kidwell’s preshow music.—
Emily McClanathan,
Chicago Tribune,
26 Feb. 2025
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Chaos quickly unfolds when the bickering, different-strokes twins find the calamitous heirloom—although Perkins keeps the first act mostly mournful, as the boys struggle with the onslaught of death around them.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The prime minister of Israel should be ashamed, knowing the history of his people, to stand there and allow such things to be said.—
Russel Honoré,
Newsweek,
5 Mar. 2025
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Baker is the advocate independent cinema needs — an auteur who’s not ashamed to entertain.—
Amy Nicholson,
Twin Cities,
1 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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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
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The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.—
Helen Shaw,
Vulture,
8 Dec. 2021
Adjective
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Whetstone said the power was with the poster and encouraged her mother to be remorseful, express mortification with her actions and work to make amends.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
31 Jan. 2025
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The victim's mother told the Daily Mail the teen does not appear to be remorseful.—
Christina Coulter,
Fox News,
17 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Now the family is grappling with funeral arrangements for the young woman.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
2 Mar. 2025
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Their son Donny attended to all of the funeral arrangements with the help of his wife Jan, a nurse, and his daughters Andrea and Alicia.—
Phil Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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The driver is apologetic but doesn’t budge, video shows.—
Mitchell Willetts,
Kansas City Star,
28 Jan. 2025
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Ricky must learn how to set his own schedule, something the constantly late and often apologetic man can’t seem to get a handle on.—
Matthew Creith,
IndieWire,
27 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to regretful
Cite this Entry
“Regretful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regretful. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
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