regretful

adjective

ri-ˈgret-fəl How to pronounce regretful (audio)
Definition of regretfulnext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of regretful But even a wildly successful World Cup month might be looked back on as a regretful case of what-ifs. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 17 Apr. 2026 The camera continues zooming out, revealing more segments of people, seemingly alluding to all the lives Park has destroyed in her quest for greed and power, which has ultimately left her regretful. — Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026 My sole interaction with the mother was calm and with good intentions, and the outcome of the encounter is regretful. — Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026 And the conflict behind it all dates back to a regretful college recruitment and housing decision. — Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 8 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for regretful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regretful
  1. heartbroken
  2. sorry
  3. mournful
  4. ashamed
  5. weeping
  6. remorseful
  7. funeral
  8. apologetic
Adjective
  • Fans across Kansas City posted heartbroken notes of appreciation for the country legend.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Speaking during a recent career retrospective hosted by the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the 71-year-old actor revealed that his Thelma & Louise co-star left him heartbroken.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of heartbroken
Adjective
  • López, who has undergone Tommy John surgery twice, wanted to find a way to keep busy instead of feeling sorry for himself.
    — Dan Hayes, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Luwi felt sorry that Ivan hadn’t learned to speak English better.
    — Rachel Aviv, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of sorry
Adjective
  • Whitney Houston’s powerhouse version stands alone, but Dolly’s quieter, mournful ode to her collaboration with Porter Wagoner is the artful, formative sketch to a colossal mural.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • These pauses also give the documentary an air of mournful respect, making its pace more deliberate than the standard talking heads-doc that might be mistaken as a stylistic counterpart.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of mournful
Adjective
  • Policies that may make people feel judged or ashamed to use SNAP, therefore, cannot be evaluated solely by whether purchases of one particular product decline.
    — Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Matt Damon isn’t ashamed to be a bit of a Disney adult—and neither are his daughters.
    — Meg Walters, InStyle, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of ashamed
Adjective
  • 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
  • The show manages to stay on the brink — always laughing, never quite weeping — for its entire length.
    — Helen Shaw, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2021
Definition of weeping
Adjective
  • Several artists said Ludlow, though remorseful about the festival’s outcome, failed to communicate updates about the cancellation beyond last-minute form letters.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
  • To Tommy, Anna and Molly are twittering encumbrances, idiotic in their insistence on good works and the good of man, their endless remorseful hedgings about the Communist Party.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of remorseful
Adjective
  • The killings wiped out members from four generations, said Jennifer Mercer, a neighbor and family friend who set up an online fundraiser to help cover funeral costs and other expenses and was authorized to release the details.
    — David K. Li, NBC news, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The Daily Mail reported that Andrew remains on a confidential government list of royal family members with funeral plans prepared in advance.
    — Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of funeral
Adjective
  • Learning that Duarte was out of the country in Spain, Schrager was immediately apologetic.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
  • An apologetic statement this week and commitment to not letting history repeat itself has, though, done little to placate the intensifying scrutiny of his leadership.
    — Aleks Klosok, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of apologetic

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Cite this Entry

“Regretful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regretful. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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