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If you remember your high school French, or if you've ever strolled down the Rue de Rivoli in Paris, you may have the notion that the English word rue is somehow connected to the French word for "street." In actuality, the French and English words are not related at all. The English rue is originally from the Old English word hrēow, meaning "sorrow." Used as both a noun and, more frequently, a verb, rue is very old, dating back to before the 12th century.
Synonyms
Examples of rue in a Sentence
Jack Bantock, CNN, 18 July 2024
Havertz missed a glorious chance to double the lead shortly afterwards after being one-on-one with Schmeichel but wasn’t made to rue his mistake as Musiala found the back of the net minutes later.
—Sam Joseph, CNN, 29 June 2024
Adrienne Mayor, Discover Magazine, 28 May 2024
The goat’s rue is thought to stimulate the production of mammary tissue.
—Lainey Younkin, Ms, Rd, Parents, 15 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for rue 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'rue.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Rue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rue. Accessed 2 Oct. 2024.
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rue
2 of 2 nounMedical Definition
rue
noun
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