Standard Lemma guide

repentant

adj · noun · 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.

  • /ɹəˈpɛntənt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: R IH0 P EH1 N T AH0 N T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Feeling or showing sorrow for wrongdoing.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: penitent, contrite, remorseful, repentant, apologetic, guilt-ridden

Antonyms: impenitent, unrepentant, unbowed, unreformed, recidivistic

2

noun

Meaning 2

One who repents; a penitent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adjective

Meaning 3

feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: penitent

Antonyms: unrepentant

History

Etymology

From Middle English repentant, from Old French repentant, present participle of repentir. By surface analysis, repent + -ant.

Across languages

Translations

17 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 後悔的 /后悔的 (hòuhuǐde) — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • Czech: kajícný — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • Danish: angrende — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • Finnish: katuva — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • Finnish: katuvainen — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • French: repentant — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • French: repenti — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • German: reumütig — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • Greek: μετανιωμένος (metanioménos) — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • Ancient Greek: μετάμελος (metámelos) — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • Hungarian: bűnbánó — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • Ido: repentanta — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • Polish: skruszony — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • Portuguese: arrependido — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • Spanish: arrepentido — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • Swedish: ångerfull — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing
  • Swedish: botfärdig — feeling sorrow for wrongdoing