rueful

adjective

rue·​ful ˈrü-fəl How to pronounce rueful (audio)
1
: exciting pity or sympathy : pitiable
rueful squalid poverty … by every waysideJohn Morley
2
: mournful, regretful
troubled her with a rueful disquietW. M. Thackeray
ruefully adverb
ruefulness noun

Examples of rueful in a Sentence

He gave me a rueful smile and apologized. the rueful faces of friends and family who had gathered to pay their last respects
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Baker clearly respects and admires Ani, and looks with rueful empathy at the severe orders and fearsome threats under which the three tough guys labor, the harsh yet frivolous upbringing that has left Vanya a terrified emotional baby. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2024 But most of my friends grimace and then, after a rueful joke, move on to other topics. Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024 The book also has a complicated, somewhat rueful take on race. Charles McGrath, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2024 Arrogantly rueful, Hartnett’s vicious killer has a flair for the dramatic, revealing, in the film’s final throes, to lead a semi-charmed kinda life. Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 4 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for rueful 

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of rueful was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near rueful

Cite this Entry

“Rueful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rueful. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

rueful

adjective
rue·​ful ˈrü-fəl How to pronounce rueful (audio)
1
: exciting pity or sympathy
2
ruefully adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on rueful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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