verb / noun

regret

To feel sorry about something, or that feeling.

I regret my decision to sell my grandmother's old piano.

Etymology

The French verb means to lament or feel sorrow. English preserves that response to a loss, action, or circumstance one wishes were otherwise.

More examples

  • She regrets not spending more time with her brother.
  • He turned down the offer without a moment of regret.
  • They regretted leaving the concert before the final song.

Forms

regret · regrets · regretted · regretting

regretful adjective — Feeling sorry about something that happened.

regretfully adverb — With sadness about something done or lost.

Similar words

remorse
Emphasizes deep guilt about wrongdoing, not just an unfortunate outcome.
sorrow
Expresses broader sadness, especially over loss, rather than regretted choices.