rue
gb/ɹˈu/ us/ɹˈu/
C1
English
~ 8700
megbán, bánat, megbánás, kerti ruta, ruta
VERB
C1
LITERARY
1
megbán
B1
Usage pattern:
to rue [something]
Years later, he came to rue the harsh words he had spoken to his brother.
Évekkel később megbánta azokat a kemény szavakat, amelyeket a testvéréhez intézett.
The company will rue its decision to ignore early warnings about the software bug.
A cég meg fogja bánni, hogy figyelmen kívül hagyta a szoftverhibára vonatkozó korai figyelmeztetéseket.
She would forever rue the moment she agreed to sign the contract without reading it carefully.
Fans rue the team’s choice to sell their best player.
They now rue having trusted an untested supplier.
Learner examples
He will rue his choice to leave school so early.
Meg fogja bánni, hogy ilyen korán otthagyta az iskolát.
She rues the day she lied to her best friend.
Átkozza a napot, amikor hazudott a legjobb barátnőjének.
I rue my decision to spend all my savings.
They may rue signing that paper without asking a lawyer.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes think 'rue' is common in everyday casual speech, but most native speakers usually say 'regret' instead. 'Rue' often sounds formal, literary, or dramatic, and is especially common in the fixed phrase 'rue the day'. Learners also sometimes confuse the spelling with 'rude', which is a completely different word.
Meaning
Feel deep regret about something
Collocations
rue the day
|rue his decision
|rue her words
|will live to rue
|come to rue
Synonyms
regret (Most common neutral verb; does not carry the slightly literary or dramatic tone that 'rue' often has.)
|
lament (Stronger and more emotional, often suggests speaking or crying about the regret.)
|
repent (Suggests moral or religious regret, especially for sins or wrong actions.)
Antonyms
relish (Means to greatly enjoy or take pleasure in something, the opposite of feeling regret about it.)
Themes
emotions
|relationships
|communication
Definition
To feel very sorry about something you did or that happened in the past.
To feel or express deep regret, sadness, or disappointment about something that has happened or been done.
NOUN
C2
LITERARY
2
Usage pattern:
[someone] feels rue about [something]
He watched the ruined building with quiet rue, knowing his warnings had been ignored.
Csendes bánattal nézte a romos épületet, tudva, hogy figyelmen kívül hagyták a figyelmeztetéseit.
Her letter was filled with rue for the way she had treated her parents.
A levele tele volt megbánással amiatt, ahogyan a szüleivel bánt.
They spoke with rue about lost chances and broken promises.
Learner examples
He felt great rue after he hurt his friend.
Nagy megbánást érzett, miután megbántotta a barátját.
She wrote with rue about her life choices.
Életének döntéseiről bánattal írt.
There was rue in his voice when he talked about the past.
Common mistake:
Learners may expect the noun 'rue' to be common like the noun 'regret', but it is rare and mainly literary. In normal modern English, people almost always use 'regret' instead.
Meaning
Deep feeling of regret or sorrow
Collocations
without rue
|with rue
|full of rue
Synonyms
regret (Neutral and most common noun; less intense and less literary than 'rue'.)
|
remorse (Stronger than 'rue', often suggests guilt about moral or serious wrongs.)
Antonyms
satisfaction (A pleased feeling about something turning out well, the opposite of feeling regret or sorrow about it.)
Themes
emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A deep, painful feeling of being sorry about something that happened or that you did.
A strong feeling of regret and sorrow about something that has happened or been done.
NOUN
C1
3
kerti ruta
C1
ruta
C1
Usage pattern:
[someone] grows rue in [a place]
They planted rue along the edge of the vegetable garden to keep insects away.
Rutát ültettek a veteményeskert szélére, hogy távol tartsák a rovarokat.
Traditional healers once used rue leaves to make bitter medicines.
A hagyományos gyógyítók egykor a ruta leveleiből készítettek keserű orvosságokat.
The recipe called for a tiny amount of fresh rue, warning that too much would taste unpleasant.
Learner examples
Rue grows in the corner of our garden.
A kertünk sarkában ruta nő.
She adds a little rue to the dish for its strong taste.
Egy kis rutát tesz az ételbe az erős íze miatt.
The old doctor used rue leaves to make medicine.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this plant meaning with the much more common verb meaning 'to regret'. The plant sense usually appears in gardening, cooking, or herbal medicine contexts, often with words like 'plant', 'leaves', or 'garden'.
Meaning
A strong-smelling herb plant
Collocations
rue plant
|common rue
|rue leaves
|rue oil
Synonyms
herb (A general word for any plant used in cooking or medicine; less specific than 'rue'.)
|
Ruta graveolens (The scientific Latin name for the same plant, used in botanical or technical contexts.)
Themes
nature
|food
|food_drink
Definition
A garden plant with a strong smell and bitter leaves, used in old-style medicine and sometimes in food.
A strongly scented, bitter-tasting herb (Ruta graveolens) grown in gardens, traditionally used in medicine and sometimes in cooking.
Grammar
Dictionary form
rue
IPA
GB/ɹˈu/
US/ɹˈu/
Syllables & stress
rue (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (rue)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: rue
- Plural: rue
Verb
- Base: rue
- 3rd Person Singular: rues
- Present Participle: ruing
- Past: rued
Word family
Forms
rues
verb
ruing
verb
rued
verb
Core family
rueful
adjective
ruefully
adverb
Advanced or less common
ruefulness
noun
Expressions
live to rue the day
1/lˈɪv tə ɹˈu ðə dˈeɪ/
idiom
Later come to deeply regret something
To stay alive long enough to feel very sorry in the future about a certain day or time when something happened or when you did something.
Examples
- If you treat your friends like that, you’ll live to rue the day you pushed them away.
- The coach warned that the team would live to rue the day they stopped training seriously.
- Investors may live to rue the day they ignored the early signs of trouble.
rue the day
1/ɹˈu ðə dˈeɪ/
idiom
Deeply regret a specific moment
To feel very sorry in the future about a certain day or time when you did something or when something happened.
Examples
- You’ll rue the day you decided to ignore that safety warning.
- He knew his boss would rue the day she turned down such a talented applicant.
- They would soon rue the day they sold their share of the company.