Meaning & use
have regrets about
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Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
to feel sorry or unhappy about something you did or did not do in the past
Grammar: Used with a noun or -ing form after 'about': have regrets about leaving, have regrets about the decision.
Patterns
- have regrets about something
- have regrets about doing something
- have no regrets about something
She has regrets about not studying harder when she was younger.
Do you have any regrets about moving to a new city?
He said he had no regrets about his career choice.
Common combinations
- have no regrets about
- I have no regrets about quitting that job.
- have regrets about the past
- Many people have regrets about the past, but they learn to move on.
- have deep regrets about
- She has deep regrets about how she treated her friend.
- have any regrets about
- Do you have any regrets about what you said?
Synonyms and how they differ
- regret
- As a verb, 'regret' is more direct: 'I regret leaving' means the same as 'I have regrets about leaving', but is more formal and concise.
- feel sorry about
- 'Feel sorry about' focuses on the emotion of sympathy or sadness, while 'have regrets about' emphasizes a judgment that a past action was wrong or a mistake.
Opposites
Commonly confused: have regrets about or regret?
have regrets about vs regret
'Regret' is a verb or a noun. As a verb, it takes a direct object: 'I regret the decision.' As a noun, it is countable: 'a deep regret'. The phrase 'have regrets about' uses the plural noun with 'about'.
Practice
Complete the sentence: She has some regrets ______ not taking the job offer.
Choose one answer.
The correct preposition after 'regrets' in this phrase is 'about'. 'For' could be used with 'sorry' (sorry for), but not with 'regrets'. 'On' and 'with' do not fit the pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “have regrets about”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.