regret

regret — noun

1. a sad feeling that comes when you realize something bad has happened, you have m

1.nounB1
Definition

a sad feeling that comes when you realize something bad has happened, you have made a mistake, or things could have been better — often with a wish to undo what was done

Example

Talia felt deep regret after shouting at her younger brother.

collocation: deep regret

A strong sense of regret filled Ignacio when he missed the chance to study abroad.

Common collocations
  • deep regret
  • great regret
  • express regret
  • feel regret
  • fill with regret
  • bitter regret
Synonyms
  • remorse

    stronger; implies guilt for a specific wrong you have done

  • sorrow

    more general sadness; not necessarily tied to a personal mistake

  • contrition

    formal and often religious; focused on repentance

Antonyms
  • satisfaction

    a feeling of being pleased with what happened

  • contentment

    a peaceful feeling that things are as they should be

Usage Note

Often modified by adjectives that signal how strong the feeling is: 'deep regret', 'great regret', 'bitter regret'. This sense is also used in set phrases such as 'much to my regret' and 'with deep regret'.

Common Mistakes

I have regret for not studying harder.
I have regrets about not studying harder.
When using 'regret' as a countable noun, use the plural 'regrets' or the uncountable 'regret', but not 'a regret' as a direct object with 'for'.
He expressed his regretful over the mistake.
He expressed his regret over the mistake.
'Regretful' is an adjective describing a person; the noun 'regret' is what you express.

2. a polite message sent to someone who has invited you, saying that you cannot att

2.nounB2
Definition

a polite message sent to someone who has invited you, saying that you cannot attend

Example

Helen sent her regrets to the wedding invitation because she was travelling that weekend.

fixed phrase: send (one's) regrets

Those who cannot attend the meeting should give their regrets by Friday.

fixed phrase: give (one's) regrets

Common collocations
  • give your regrets
  • send your regrets
  • offer your regrets
  • note of regret
Synonyms
  • refusal

    more direct and less polite than 'regrets'

  • declination

    very formal, but rare in everyday use

Antonyms

Usage Note

Almost always used in the fixed expressions 'give your regrets' or 'send your regrets'. The singular form 'regret' is not used in this sense; it is always 'regrets'. Typical in written invitations, formal correspondence, and RSVP contexts.

Common Mistakes

She gave her regret to the party.
She gave her regrets to the party.
In this sense, the word is always plural: 'regrets', not 'regret'.

regret — verb

Word family

  • regretful
    adjectiveB2
  • regretfully
    adverbB2
  • regrettable
    adjectiveB2
  • regrettably
    adverbB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words express a negative reaction to something that has happened, but they differ in intensity, formality, and scope. 'Regret' (B1) is the most neutral and widely useful; it covers everything from small daily missteps ('I regret eating that third slice of cake') to major life decisions. 'Be sorry' (A2) is simpler and more common in conversation — 'I'm sorry I upset you' focuses on the other person's feelings rather than your own self-criticism. 'Rue' (C2) is literary and suggests a bitter, lingering sense of regret about a missed opportunity — for example, 'He rued the day he sold his shares.' 'Lament' (B2) adds a tone of mourning or emotional grief, as in 'She lamented the loss of her youth.' In daily use, stick with 'regret' for formal or written contexts and 'be sorry' for everyday conversation.

regret ↗be sorryruelament

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • have no regrets
  • regret to say
  • regret to inform
  • regret the loss
  • much to my regret

Prepositions

Etymology

FrankishOld FrenchMiddle EnglishModern English

The word 'regret' entered English around the 1300s from Old French 'regreter', meaning 'to bewail or lament the dead'. The French word was built from 're-' (an intensive prefix) and '-greter' (to weep), which came from a Frankish (Germanic) source meaning 'to cry'. In its earliest English uses, 'regret' was about mourning someone who had died. By the 1500s, the meaning had broadened to include feeling sorry about any loss or mistake, not just death. The verb developed the 'feel sorry about one's own actions' sense more fully in the 1600s–1700s.