repent
gb/ɹɪpˈɛnt/ us/ɹɪpˈɛnt/
C1
English
~ 6200
megbán, bűnbánatot tart, bán, sajnál
VERB
C1
FORMAL
1
megbán
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] repents (of) [something]
After years of hurting people, he finally repented of his selfish behavior.
Miután éveken át megbántott másokat, végül őszintén megbánta önző viselkedését.
She knelt in prayer, asking God to forgive her as she sincerely repented of her lies.
Letérdelt imádkozni, és Isten bocsánatát kérte, miközben őszintén megbánta a hazugságait.
The preacher urged the crowd to repent of their sins and start a new life.
If you truly repent, you must also try to repair the harm you have done.
They believed that anyone could be forgiven if they repented and turned back to God.
Learner examples
He repented of his crime and wanted to live a better life.
Megbánta a bűncselekményét, és jobb életet akart élni.
She went to church to repent of what she had done.
Elment a templomba, hogy megbánja, amit tett.
The man said he would repent and not steal again.
They told him to repent of his bad actions.
If you repent, you try not to do the bad thing again.
Common mistake:
Learners often use “repent” when simple “be sorry” or “regret” is more natural in everyday conversation. In modern English, “repent” is mostly used in religious or serious moral contexts ("repent of your sins"), not for small mistakes (you usually say “I’m sorry” or “I regret it,” not “I repent it”). Another mistake is using the wrong preposition, such as *repent for*; the common pattern is “repent of [something]” or just “repent” without a preposition.
Meaning
feel deep remorse and change
Collocations
repent of your sins
|truly repent
|repent before God
|repent and turn
|call to repent
|refuse to repent
Synonyms
regret (A more general word for feeling sorry about something; does not always include the strong moral or religious idea of changing your life that “repent” has.)
|
be penitent (Very close in meaning and also formal/religious, but often describes a state or attitude rather than the active turning away from sin.)
Antonyms
be unrepentant (Describes someone who does wrong but does not feel sorry and does not want to change.)
|
justify oneself (To defend one’s actions as right instead of feeling sorry and changing them.)
Themes
religion
|emotions
|ethics
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To feel very sorry for doing something bad and to decide to stop doing it and live in a better way.
To feel sincere, painful regret for having done wrong, together with a firm decision to change one’s behavior and not repeat the wrongdoing, especially in a moral or religious sense.
VERB
C2
FORMAL
2
megbán
B1
Usage pattern:
[someone] (will) repent [something]
He invested all his savings in the scheme and would soon live to repent that choice.
Minden megtakarítását beletette ebbe a tervbe, és hamarosan megbánta ezt a döntést.
You may think this is funny now, but one day you will repent your behavior.
Lehet, hogy most még viccesnek tartod ezt, de egyszer még meg fogod bánni a viselkedésedet.
She never repented the risks she took to start her own company.
He came to repent the harsh words he spoke in anger.
They repented their decision to move only after the housing market collapsed.
Learner examples
He will repent this decision when he sees the result.
Meg fogja bánni ezt a döntést, amikor meglátja az eredményt.
One day you will repent what you did today.
Egyszer még meg fogod bánni, amit ma tettél.
She later repented her hard words to her friend.
They repented their choice to sell the house so quickly.
He did not repent his brave action, even when it cost him his job.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use this formal sense of “repent” in casual speech where “regret” is more natural (e.g. saying *I repent my test score* instead of *I regret my test score*). Also, “repent” is less common with everyday objects; speakers more often say they repent decisions, actions, or behavior, not neutral events like *the rain* or *the traffic*.
Meaning
strongly regret a past action
Collocations
live to repent
|bitterly repent
|repent a decision
|repent it later
|repent the day
|come to repent
Synonyms
rue (Formal and literary; focuses on the painful feeling of regret, similar in strength to this sense of “repent” but without a religious tone.)
|
deeply regret (Everyday phrase that expresses strong regret; does not sound as formal or old-fashioned as “repent.”)
Antonyms
be glad of (To feel pleased or happy about a decision, which is the opposite of later regretting it.)
|
have no regrets (To feel no sorrow about past actions, contrasting with strongly regretting them.)
Themes
emotions
|life
|ethics
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To later feel very sorry about something you did or chose.
To come to strongly regret a past decision, action, or experience, often after some time has passed.
VERB
C2
ARCHAIC
3
Usage pattern:
it repents [someone] (that) [clause]
“It much repents me that I spoke so rashly,” he wrote in the old letter.
„Nagyon bánom, hogy ilyen elhamarkodottan szóltam” – írta a régi levélben.
In the archaic phrase “it repents me,” the verb means that something makes a person feel regret.
A régies angol „it repents me” kifejezésben az ige azt jelenti, hogy valami sajnálatot vagy bánatot kelt az emberben.
“It repents us that we could not aid you,” the messenger declared in the ancient play.
Learner examples
In old books you may read, “It repents me that I did this,” which means, “I am sorry that I did this.”
Régi könyvekben előfordulhat az „It repents me that I did this”, ami azt jelenti: „Sajnálom, hogy ezt tettem.”
The phrase “it repents me” is archaic and not used in modern speech.
Az „it repents me” kifejezés régies, és a mai beszélt nyelvben nem használják.
In Shakespeare, a character might say, “It repents me of my words,” meaning he regrets his words.
Common mistake:
Because this use is archaic, learners sometimes misread “it repents me” as if “it” is feeling sorry; in fact, the phrase means “I regret it,” and is not used in modern everyday English.
Meaning
(archaic) cause someone to regret
Collocations
it repents me
|much repents me
|it repents us that
Synonyms
sadden (In this old pattern, “it repents me” is close to “it saddens me,” though “repent” stresses regret rather than simple sadness.)
|
cause to regret (Paraphrases the causative meaning, but is not idiomatic in modern English in the same structure.)
Antonyms
gladden (To make someone feel pleased or happy, which contrasts with causing them sorrow or regret.)
Themes
literature
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
(Old use) To make someone feel sorry; in old writing, “it repents me” means “I am sorry.”
(Archaic) To cause someone to feel regret or sorrow; used in older patterns such as “it repents me (that) …” meaning “I am sorry (that) …”.
Grammar
Dictionary form
repent
IPA
GB/ɹɪpˈɛnt/
US/ɹɪpˈɛnt/
Syllables & stress
re - pent (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (pent)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: repent
- 3rd Person Singular: repents
- Present Participle: repenting
- Past: repented
Word family
Forms
repents
verb
repenting
verb
repented
verb
Core family
repentance
noun B2
repentant
adjective
Related words
repentantly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
unrepentant
adjective
unrepentantly
adverb
Expressions
live to repent
1/lˈɪv tə ɹɪpˈɛnt/
idiom
formal
later come to regret something
To feel regret in the future for something you are doing now, usually after many years.
Examples
- If you treat your parents badly now, you may live to repent it.
- He ignored all advice and would live to repent that choice.
- She warned him that he would live to repent his carelessness.
repent at leisure
1/ɹɪpˈɛnt ˈæt lˈiʒɚ/
idiom
literary
long regret for a hasty act
To feel sorry for a quick decision for a long time afterward; often used in the saying “Marry in haste, repent at leisure.”
Examples
- He signed the contract without reading it and would repent at leisure.
- “Marry in haste, repent at leisure” warns that quick choices in love can bring long-lasting regret.
repent of
1/ɹɪpˈɛnt əv/
phrasal verb
formal
feel regret about something
To feel very sorry about a particular thing you did or a way you lived before.
Examples
- He publicly repented of his past crimes and asked for forgiveness.
- Many people only repent of their selfish actions when it is too late.
- She later repented of the harsh judgment she had made.