Meaning & use
repenteth
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“repenteth” is a form of “repent”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitivearchaicreligionliterary
Feels deep regret for something wrong he or she has done and turns away from it.
Grammar: An old third-person singular form; it takes no object and is used with he, she, or a singular noun.
Patterns
- repenteth of something
- repenteth and turneth
In the old translation, the prophet says that whoever repenteth shall be forgiven.
The hymn tells how a sinner repenteth and finds mercy at last.
Unless a man repenteth of his evil deeds, the old preacher warned, he cannot be saved.
verbintransitivearchaicliterary
Feels regret or sorrow about a past action, without necessarily changing behavior.
Grammar: Still an old form; in modern English you would use repents or is sorry.
Patterns
- repenteth of something
She repenteth of the harsh words she spoke in anger.
He repenteth of his wasted years, though he cannot undo them.
Word forms
| base form | repent |
|---|---|
| third person singular (modern) | repents |
| past tense | repented |
| past participle | repented |
| -ing form | repenting |
Common combinations
- repenteth of sin
- The old sermon urged every listener who repenteth of sin to seek forgiveness.
- repenteth and believe
- The passage calls on the reader who repenteth and believes to begin a new life.
- truly repenteth
- Only the person who truly repenteth can expect to be pardoned.
- whosoever repenteth
- Whosoever repenteth, the verse says, will be welcomed back.
- repenteth in sackcloth
- In the old story the king repenteth in sackcloth and ashes.
Synonyms and how they differ
- repents
- The modern everyday form of the same verb; use this in ordinary speech and writing today.
- regrets
- Weaker and more general: it means you feel sorry about something, but not necessarily that you change your ways.
- rue
- A literary word meaning to feel bitter regret; it is more about the feeling than about turning from wrongdoing.
Opposites
Word family
- repentance noun
- The act of feeling sorry for wrongdoing and turning away from it.
- repentant adjective
- Feeling or showing regret for something wrong you have done.
- repentantly adverb
- In a way that shows regret for wrongdoing.
- repent verb
- The base form: to feel regret and turn away from wrongdoing.
Commonly confused: repenteth or repent? repenteth or repeated?
repenteth vs repent
Repent is the base form used with I, you, we, they, and after to; repenteth is only the old third-person singular form used with he, she, or it in older texts.
repenteth vs repeated
Repeated sounds similar but means done again; repenteth is about feeling sorry for wrongdoing.
Practice
In the old Bible text, 'whosoever ___ of his sins shall be forgiven,' which form fits the archaic style?
Choose one answer.
The archaic third-person singular form repenteth matches the old style and the singular subject whosoever. Repent is the modern base form and would not fit the old grammar after whosoever, while repenting and repented do not match the present-tense singular subject.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “repenteth”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.