regret

Meanings

Verb

• To feel sorry about (a thing that has or has not happened), afterthink: to wish that a thing had not happened, that something else had happened instead.
• To feel sorry about (any thing).
• To miss; to feel the loss or absence of; to mourn.

Noun

• Emotional pain on account of something done or experienced in the past, with a wish that it had been different; a looking back with dissatisfaction or with longing.
• Dislike; aversion.

Origin

• From Middle English regretten, from Old French regreter, regrater, from re- + *greter, *grater, from Frankish *grātan, from Proto-Germanic *grētaną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁d-; and Frankish *greutan, from Proto-Germanic *greutaną, from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrewd-, equivalent to re- + greet. Cognate with Middle High German grāzan, Old English grǣtan, Old English grēotan, Old Norse gráta, Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐌴𐍄𐌰𐌽. More at greet.