re'gretter

World English Dictionary

regret (rɪˈɡrɛt)

—vb , -grets, -gretting, -gretted
1.	(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to feel sorry, repentant, or upset about
2.	to bemoan or grieve the death or loss of

—n
3.	a sense of repentance, guilt, or sorrow, as over some wrong done or an unfulfilled ambition
4.	a sense of loss or grief
5.	(plural) a polite expression of sadness, esp in a formal refusal of an invitation

[C14: from Old French regrete, of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse grāta to weep]

usage Regretful and regretfully are sometimes wrongly used where regrettable and regrettably are meant: he gave a regretful smile; he smiled regretfully; this is a regrettable (not regretful) mistake; regrettably (not regretfully), I shall be unable to attend

re'gretful

—*adj*

re'gretfully

—*adv*

re'gretfulness

—n

re'grettable

—*adj*

re'grettably

—*adv*

re'gretter

—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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