Meaning & use

regret

verb·Everyday

To feel sorrow, remorse, or disappointment over something one has done or failed to do.

See it in a sentence

He regretted not calling his grandmother more often before she passed away.

She never regretted moving abroad, even during the hardest first months.

A note on using this word

Regret is often followed by a gerund ('regret leaving') for an action already taken, or by an infinitive ('regret to say') in formal bad news.

Words with a similar meaning

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Another way to use it

2. noun

A feeling of sadness or disappointment over something that happened or that one did.

Her only regret was not traveling more while she was young.

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