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
Relevance
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
Examples 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
Neither damning nor satiric, W. is oddly wistful, almost regretful — rare sentiments in a Stone film.
—
Will Leitch, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2024
The r/Anxiety subreddit is filled with folks who report feeling panicky, empty, regretful, or guilty as day transitions to night.
—Lauren Mazzo, SELF, 16 Oct. 2024
The irony is that songwriter Ezra Koenig and his buddies can’t relinquish memories, which inform, on the transportive B-side, the most somber, regretful music of their career.
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
Danny White, whose football team is currently ranked No. 5, appears less regretful.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for regretful 
Will Leitch, Vulture, 13 Oct. 2024
The r/Anxiety subreddit is filled with folks who report feeling panicky, empty, regretful, or guilty as day transitions to night.
—Lauren Mazzo, SELF, 16 Oct. 2024
The irony is that songwriter Ezra Koenig and his buddies can’t relinquish memories, which inform, on the transportive B-side, the most somber, regretful music of their career.
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
Danny White, whose football team is currently ranked No. 5, appears less regretful.
—Eben Novy-Williams, Sportico.com, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for regretful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for regretful
Adjective
-
When Tai Shan was sent to China and separated from his parents, Nguyen was heartbroken.—
Christopher Cann,
USA TODAY,
24 Jan. 2025
-
And now, a heartbroken mom has gone viral on TikTok, opening up about losing her 3-year-old daughter to invasive Strep A in 2022.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
23 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Like, sorry, life isn't some perfect script for everyone.—
Justin Gest,
Newsweek,
20 Jan. 2025
-
Some of those starts were even with MBM—sorry, Garage 66.—
Greg Engle,
Forbes,
18 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Angelo Badalamenti’s mournful, string-laden score draws us in, emphasizing the quaintness of the visuals, while also suggesting a deeper pain at the core of this place.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
19 Jan. 2025
-
The Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) shared a sorrowful story across their social media feeds about a mournful looking cat.—
TJ Macias,
Miami Herald,
10 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Yet none of the people who had new hates felt remotely ashamed.—
Sheila Heti,
The New Yorker,
19 Jan. 2025
-
With your silly smirks your mothers would be ashamed of?—
Marya E. Gates,
IndieWire,
13 Jan. 2025
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
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, the fans wearing Aaron Judge and Mariano Rivera jerseys who tried to pry the ball from Betts’ glove weren’t exactly remorseful.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Dec. 2024
-
Hughie Campbell is walking with his girlfriend down the street when suddenly she's obliterated by a speeding A-Train, who doesn't really seem that remorseful.—
Gord Magill,
Newsweek,
22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Carter’s casket will depart the U.S. Capitol at 9 a.m. and a funeral motorcade will travel to the Washington National Cathedral.—
Molly Bohannon,
Forbes,
9 Jan. 2025
-
On this day, in an Assad-free Damascus, he is mourned loudly by hundreds in a funeral procession that starts at the hospital where he was identified and ends at his final resting place.—
Claire Harbage,
NPR,
17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Now, an apologetic Martin, who says the damage to the bluff was unintentional, has won city of Miami approval for an unprecedented fix — hiring a skilled stonemason to recreate the missing top two-and-a-half feet of the exposed, naturally jagged rock outcropping.—
Andres Viglucci,
Miami Herald,
14 Jan. 2025
-
The Guard member was apologetic as people kept coming up, begging to get medication, clothes and insurance papers from their homes.—
Hailey Branson-Potts,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Jan. 2025
Articles Related to regretful
Thesaurus Entries Near regretful
Cite this Entry
“Regretful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/regretful. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share