to rue

Examples

• All

• He will rue the very day he stole my kingdom from me!

  Shrek 2 (2004)

• I swear by all that is just, you will rue this day.

  Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016)

• But in general, you must speak out or rue the day you failed to.

• Now let them thank themselves and rue too late.

  Edward II (1991)

• When you got right down to it, they would rue the day they were born.

  Fiction book (1995)

• And he will rue the day he walked away from me.

  Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)

• We may well rue the day there were very few engineers among them.

  Blog text (22)

• The wildlife people who introduced these things might someday rue the day.

  Blog text (12)

• I said that Tony Blair would rue the day that he expelled me.

  Anything Goes With James English

• Selling the Red Cat Cafe and Bookstore for $15,000 was a serious mistake I continue to rue.

  Fiction book (1999)

Synonyms

R

to regret

vsto rue

481 1.2

Feel sorry about a past action, a loss, or a missed chance

is specifically about being sorry for an action or event rather than loss

F

to feel bad about

vsto rue

108 3.4

To be sorry about an action you did or failed to do

is a neutral term for feeling regret without moral or intensity focus

R

to repent

vsto rue

91 4.9

To feel very sorry and want to make things right

is a general feeling of regret rather than sincere moral change

L

to lament

vsto rue

• Formal

62 5.0

To show or say that you feel sad about something

is milder regret focused on being sorry rather than intense grief

B

to bemoan

vsto rue

21 7.1

To say you are sad about something and complain about it

is primarily an internal feeling of sorrow rather than public expression

D

to deplore

vsto rue

• Formal

18 7.1

To show strong disapproval of something, often publicly or in a formal way

is more about personal sorrow rather than public disapproval or formality

F

to feel like a louse

vsto rue

• Offensive

9.1

To be guilty and ashamed after treating someone badly

is a general sense of regret, not always tied to personal shame

Antonyms

C

to celebrate

∞ 1.4

To join fun events to mark a special day or achievement

R

to rejoice

93 3.6

Feel or show that you are very happy

Idioms

R

to rue the day

• Informal

9 8.1

Feel very sorry about a past action or decision

Compounds

F

false rue anemone

• US

9.9

A small plant from eastern North America with thick roots and white flowers tinged pink

F

false rue

• US

9.9

A thin plant that lives many years with small white flowers tinged pink

M

meadow rue

8.5

A plant with thin divided leaves and small purple or yellow flowers that grows in damp meadows by streams

G

goat rue

• Specialized

9.9

A tall bushy plant from Europe with blue flowers used in traditional medicine

G

goat's rue

• UK

9.9

A tall European plant with many leaflets and spikes of blue flowers used sometimes as a medicine

G

goat's rue

• Specialized

9.9

A North American bush with soft hairy leaves and pale flowers sometimes used to kill insects

R

rue anemone

• US

9.9

A small white or pink flower that grows on the forest floor in spring in eastern North America

R

rue family

8.6

A group of flowering plants like oranges and lemons with strongly scented leaves

W

wall rue

• UK

9.9

A small fern with delicate leaves that grows on old walls and rocks

W

wall rue spleenwort

• UK

9.9

A small delicate fern that grows on walls and cliffs

How Regretful

to repent

91 4.9

to lament

• Formal

62 5.0

to rue

14 7.5

to apologize for

• US

484 1.8

to regret

481 1.2

to feel bad about

108 3.4

Surface Forms

Etymology