Standard Lemma guide

regretfully

adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R IH0 G R EH1 T F AH0 L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a regretful manner, with regret.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Unfortunately, in a manner inspiring or deserving regret; used only as a sentence adverb (to introduce and modify an entire sentence).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: proscribed

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

with regret (used in polite formulas)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • I must regretfully decline your kind invitation

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Italic *wre- Latin re-der. Old French re- Proto-Indo-European *ǵhreh1d-der. Proto-Germanic *grētaną Frankish *grātander. Old French *greter Old French regreterbor. Middle English regretten English regret Proto-Indo-European *pleh1- Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h1nós Proto-Germanic *fullaz Proto-Germanic *-fullaz Old English -ful Middle English -ful English -ful English regretful Proto-Indo-European *leyg-der. Proto-Germanic *līkąder. Proto-Germanic *-līkaz Proto-Germanic *-ê Proto-Germanic *-līkê Proto-West Germanic *-līkē Old English -līċe Middle English -ly English -ly English regretfully From regretful + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

2 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: valitettavasti — in a regretful manner
  • Spanish: lamentablemente — in a regretful manner