regret

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   To feel sorry about something you did or did not do.

   He regretted his words as soon as he said them.

2. 2
   noun

   A feeling of sadness about something you wish had been different.

   She looked back on her decision with deep regret.

3. 3
   verb

   To say politely that you are sorry about something, often bad news.

   I regret to say that you did not gain admission.

From Middle English regretten, regreten, from Old French regreter, regrater (“to lament”), from re- (intensive prefix) + *greter, *grater (“to weep”), from Frankish *grātan (“to weep, mourn, lament”), from Proto-Germanic *grētaną (“to weep”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁d- (“to sound”); and Frankish *greutan (“to cry, weep”), from Proto-Germanic *greutaną (“to weep, cry”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrewd- (“to weep, be sad”), equivalent to re- + greet. Cognate with Old High German grāzan (“to cry”), Old English grǣtan (“to weep, greet”), Old English grēotan (“to weep, lament”), Old Norse…

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