Meaning & use
repenting
Last updated
“repenting” is a form of “repent”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbintransitiveformalreligion
Feeling deep regret for something wrong you have done and deciding to change your behavior.
Grammar: No object; often followed by of: She repented of her lies.
Patterns
- repent of something
- repent for something
He spent years repenting for the harm he had caused.
She was repenting of her decision to leave home so suddenly.
The priest spoke about repenting and starting a new life.
Word forms
| third person singular | repents |
|---|---|
| past tense | repented |
| past participle | repented |
| present participle | repenting |
Common combinations
- repent of
- He repented of his cruelty to his brother.
- repent for
- She repented for the years she had wasted.
- truly repent
- Only those who truly repent can be forgiven.
- repent and believe
- The preacher called on the crowd to repent and believe.
Synonyms and how they differ
- regret
- Regret is more general and less religious; it can be used for small things, while repent suggests a moral or religious change.
- rue
- Rue is literary and means to wish something had not happened; it does not carry the idea of changing your life.
- atone
- Atone focuses on making up for a wrong, not just feeling sorry; repent is about the feeling and decision to change.
Opposites
Word family
- repentance noun
- The act of feeling sorry and deciding to change.
- repentant adjective
- Feeling or showing that you are sorry for doing wrong.
- unrepentant adjective
- Not feeling sorry for something you did.
Commonly confused: repenting or repeat?
repenting vs repeat
Repeat means to say or do something again; repent means to feel sorry for a wrong.
Practice
She spent the rest of her life ______ her cruel words to her sister.
Choose one answer.
Repenting fits because she feels deep regret for a wrong; 'repenting of' is possible but less common here, and 'repeating' means saying again, which does not fit the idea of regret.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “repenting”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.