regret
gb/ɹɪɡɹˈɛt/ us/ɹɪɡɹˈɛt/
B1
English
~ 1600
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Feel sadness about past event
To feel sad or sorry about something that happened or something you did.
Usage pattern:
to regret [doing something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say 'regret to do' when they mean 'regret doing'; 'regret to do' is used for polite announcements, while 'regret doing' refers to feeling sorry about something that happened.
Synonyms
rue (More formal and literary; less common in everyday speech.)
|
lament (Often stronger and more formal, sometimes with public expression of grief.)
Antonyms
appreciate (To be glad about something instead of feeling sad about it.)
|
cherish (To hold something dear and feel happy about it rather than sorry.)
Collocations
deeply regret
|regret later
|regret immediately
|regret bitterly
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- I regret telling her my secret.
- He will regret his decision to quit the job.
- They regretted not taking the chance when they had it.
- I regret saying those hurtful words.
- She regrets missing the concert.
Learner examples
- I regret eating too much cake.
- She regrets not calling her friend.
- He regrets losing his wallet.
- We regret going to the wrong place.
Noun
B1
state
2
Feeling of sadness about past event
A sad or sorry feeling about something in the past.
Synonyms
remorse (Stronger sense of guilt than 'regret'.)
|
sorrow (Broader term for deep sadness, not always about personal actions.)
Antonyms
contentment (A state of being satisfied instead of sad about the past.)
Collocations
feel regret
|express regret
|deep regret
|full of regret
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She felt great regret after leaving her hometown.
- His biggest regret was not finishing college.
- The letter expressed her deep regret for the mistake.
- I have no regrets about moving abroad.
Learner examples
- He felt regret after breaking the window.
- My biggest regret is missing that trip.
- She has no regrets about her choice.
- They showed regret for their actions.
Verb
formal
B2
action
3
Politely say bad news
To say in a polite way that something bad is true or will happen.
Usage pattern:
to regret to [inform/say/tell] [someone] [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with 'regret doing', which refers to feeling sorry about a past action. Here, 'regret to do' is used for polite formal statements before giving bad news.
Synonyms
announce sadly (Informal paraphrase; lacks the formal tone of 'regret' in this usage.)
Collocations
regret to inform you
|regret to say
|we regret to announce
Themes
business
|formal communication
|communication
Examples
- We regret to inform you that your application was unsuccessful.
- I regret to say that I cannot attend the meeting.
- The company regrets to announce the closure of its branch.
Learner examples
- We regret to tell you the flight is canceled.
- I regret to say the shop is closed.
- They regret to inform you about the delay.
Grammar
Dictionary form
regret
IPA
GB/ɹɪɡɹˈɛt/
US/ɹɪɡɹˈɛt/
Syllables & stress
re - gret (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (gret)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: regret
- Plural: regret, regrets
Verb
- Base: regret
- 3rd Person Singular: regrets
- Present Participle: regretting
- Past: regretted
Word family
Forms
regrets
noun
regretting
verb
regretted
verb
Related words
Highlights
- Irregular present participle: regretting Verb
- Irregular past: regretted Verb
Expressions
express regret
1/ɪkspɹˈɛs ɹɪɡɹˈɛt/
fixed phrase
Say you feel sad about past event
To say or show that you are sad or sorry about something that happened.
Examples
- She expressed regret for her earlier comments.
- The president expressed deep regret over the tragedy.
have no regrets
1/hˈæv nˈoʊ ɹɪɡɹˈɛts/
fixed phrase
Not feel sad about past events
To feel happy with your choices and not wish they were different.
Examples
- I have no regrets about leaving my old job.
- He says he has no regrets despite the risks.
to one's regret
1/tə wˈʌnz ɹɪɡɹˈɛt/
fixed phrase
Sadly for oneself, because of past event/action
Used when you are sad about something that happened to you or because of you.
Examples
- To my regret, I never met her in person.
- He missed the deadline, much to his regret.
with regret
1/wˈɪθ ɹɪɡɹˈɛt/
fixed phrase
formal
In a sad or apologetic way
In a way that shows you are sad or sorry about something.
Examples
- We must, with regret, deny your request.
- With regret, she handed in her resignation.