regret

Word family  noun regret adjective regrettable regretful verb regret adverb regrettably regretfully

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++re·gret1 /rɪˈɡret/ ●●○ W3 verb (regretted, regretting) [transitive]  1  REGRET/FEEL SORRYto feel sorry about something you have done and wish you had not done it 后悔〔做了某事〕；对…感到遗憾 Don’t do anything you might regret. 不要做自己会后悔的事。regret doing something I regret leaving school so young. 我后悔那么早就辍学。regret (that) He was beginning to regret that he’d come along. 他开始后悔自己跟着一起来。2  [not in progressive] formalREGRET/FEEL SORRY used in official letters or statements when saying that you are sorry or sad about something 对…感到抱歉[遗憾]〔用于正式的信函或声明中〕 We regret any inconvenience caused to our customers. 我们对于给顾客造成的不便表示歉意。regret (that) I regret that I will be unable to attend. 很遗憾，我不能参加。regret to say/inform/tell I regret to inform you that your contract will not be renewed. 我很遗憾地通知你，你的合同将不予续签。 COLLOCATIONSadverbsdeeply/greatly 深深地/非常I deeply regretted what had happened. 我对发生的事深感遗憾。bitterly (=with a feeling of great sadness) 痛苦地I bitterly regretted my decision to leave. 我痛悔作出离开的决定。sincerely 真诚地The airline sincerely regrets any delays to passengers. 航空公司对于给旅客造成的延误表示诚挚的歉意。very much 非常We very much regret that there will be job losses. 我们很遗憾将会裁员。ninstantly/immediately‘No, ’ she blurted out, instantly regretting her response.phraseslive to regret something (=regret it in the future) 以后会后悔If you don’t go, you may live to regret it. 要是你不去，以后会后悔的。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

regret• That was a name he was already beginning to regret.• We truly regret any inconvenience this mistake caused you.• The airport announced that due to bad weather all flights were cancelled, and they regretted any inconvenience this would cause.• I have always regretted giving up my piano lessons.• A shy smile hinted that he did not entirely regret it.• It was a stupid thing to say, and I immediately regretted it.• I have definitely chosen and I don't regret me choice.• I instantly regret my indiscretion and beg him to keep the news to himself.• I think she regrets now that she never went to college.• Do you ever regret taking this job?• We also read about women who tried to do something and failed and now regret that they even tried.• The owners said they regretted the decision to close the store, but felt unable to do otherwise.• The Public Health ministry said it deeply regretted the error.• The management regrets to inform you that your contract will not be renewed next month.• I regret to say that a number of statements made by the department were incorrect.regret doing something• I regretted not having worn a thicker coat.regret (that)• If the enemy usually benefited from an am-bush, he was more likely to regret a proper slugfest.• We truly regret any inconvenience this mistake caused you.• Too stunned to react or notice whether his face was as casual and without regret as his words, I hiked on.• My only regret is that the college is not able to take more of my hon. Friend's constituents.• A shy smile hinted that he did not entirely regret it.• I instantly regret my indiscretion and beg him to keep the news to himself.• We regret that we are unable to answer multiple queries that do not comply with these instructions.• Dave Devine, the author of the article, regrets this misunderstanding.regret2 ●○○ noun  1  [countable usually plural, uncountable] sadness that you feel about something, especially because you wish it had not happened 懊悔，悔恨；遗憾；惋惜regret about I have no regrets about leaving. 我毫不后悔离开。great/deep regret She has already expressed deep regret for what happened. 对于发生的这一切，她深表遗憾。with regret I decided with some regret that it was time to move on. 我遗憾地作出决定，该是我另谋发展的时候了。 It is with great regret that I must decline your offer. 很遗憾，我不得不谢绝你的好意。to somebody’s regret I lost touch with her, much to my regret. 很遗憾的是，我和她失去了联系。2  give/send your regrets formalREJECT/NOT ACCEPT to say that you are unable to go to a meeting, accept an invitation etc 〔因不能赴会、接受邀请等〕表示歉意 My father was ill and had to send his regrets. 我父亲因病不能前往，只好表示歉意。n COLLOCATIONSadjectivesgreat/deep regretI accepted his resignation with great regret.bitter regret (=when you feel sad and angry)To the bitter regret of his party, he refused to call an election.somebody’s biggest regretHer biggest regret was not having children.somebody’s only regretMy only regret is that my parents did not live to see this day.verbshave regretsI have absolutely no regrets.express regretThe president expressed his regret at the deaths.phrasesa pang/twinge/stab of regret literary (=a sudden short feeling of regret)Kate watched her go with a pang of regret.

Examples from the Corpus

regret• Her biggest regret is that she turned down a job with Gardner's in 1985.• Officers expressed regret about the boy's death.• Did he feel regret, and if so, did he allow anyone to see it?• But he insists regret should never make a footballer compromise on toughness.• Mchboob looked disappointed; his whole face relaxed into regret.• Warnod had to decline, to his later regret.• My main regret is that I never finished my college degree.• She looked at him a moment as if there were some kind of regret or shame fighting it out inside of her.• Jason detected a note of regret in her voice.• "I was too young to know what I was doing, " said Martha with a deep sigh of regret.• My one regret is that I never visited the Taj Mahal when I was in India.• His only regret was that he could not drive, because of his epilepsy.• A life for a telegram from the War Department stating regret.• There was regret in his voice.• I knew that if I didn't make a clean break with Victor I should be filled with regrets for the rest of my life.have ... regrets• I finally moved in just before Christmas 1988 and, like Edith Piaf, I have no regrets.• I have no regrets about the divorce - except that it didn't happen sooner.• I have no regrets, none whatsoever.• But their parents have no regrets.• I know you don't have regrets because that's not your style.• But no one who has participated in one of these adventures in creativity and community seems to have any real regrets.• Because we don't want you to have any regrets.• Do you have any regrets about a relationship that recently ended?Origin regret1 (1400-1500) Old French regreter

re·gret1 verb →COLLOCATIONS1regret2 noun →n COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable  

and have done feel to you about sorry Corpus something

regret

I

re‧gret¹ W3 /rɪˈɡret/ verb (past tense and past participle regretted, present participle regretting) [transitive]1. to feel sorry about something you have done and wish you had not done it:
    Don’t do anything you might regret.
    regret doing something
    I regret leaving school so young.
    regret (that)
    He was beginning to regret that he’d come along.
2. [not in progressive] formal used in official letters or statements when saying that you are sorry or sad about something:
    We regret any inconvenience caused to our customers.
    regret (that)
    I regret that I will be unable to attend.
    regret to say/inform/tell
    I regret to inform you that your contract will not be renewed.
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ adverbs
   ▪ deeply/greatly I deeply regretted what had happened.
   ▪ bitterly (=with a feeling of great sadness) I bitterly regretted my decision to leave.
   ▪ sincerely The airline sincerely regrets any delays to passengers.
   ▪ very much We very much regret that there will be job losses.
   ▪ instantly/immediately ‘No,’ she blurted out, instantly regretting her response.
■ phrases
   ▪ live to regret something (=regret it in the future) If you don’t go, you may live to regret it.

II

regret² noun1. [countable usually plural, uncountable] sadness that you feel about something, especially because you wish it had not happened
    regret about
    I have no regrets about leaving.
    great/deep regret
    She has already expressed deep regret for what happened.
    with regret
    I decided with some regret that it was time to move on.
    It is with great regret that I must decline your offer.
    to sb’s regret
    I lost touch with her, much to my regret.
2. give/send your regrets formal to say that you are unable to go to a meeting, accept an invitation etc:
    My father was ill and had to send his regrets.
     

COLLOCATIONS

■ adjectives
   ▪ great/deep regret I accepted his resignation with great regret.
   ▪ bitter regret (=when you feel sad and angry) To the bitter regret of his party, he refused to call an election.
   ▪ sb’s biggest regret Her biggest regret was not having children.
   ▪ sb’s only regret My only regret is that my parents did not live to see this day.
■ verbs
   ▪ have regrets I have absolutely no regrets.
   ▪ express regret The President expressed his regret at the deaths.
■ phrases
   ▪ a pang/twinge/stab of regret literary (=a sudden short feeling of regret) Kate watched her go with a pang of regret.
     

THESAURUS

   ▪ guilt the feeling you have when you have done something you know is wrong: Divorce often leaves people with feelings of guilt.
   ▪ shame the feeling of being guilty or embarrassed that you have after doing something that is wrong, when you feel you have lost people’s respect: I was too scared to help him, and I was filled with shame.
   ▪ regret a feeling of sadness about something, especially because you wish it had not happened: Kate watched her go with a pang of regret.
   ▪ remorse a strong feeling of being sorry for doing something very bad: a murderer who showed no remorse
   ▪ contrition formal a feeling of being guilty and sorry for something wrong that you have done: The company CEO expressed contrition for the errors that led to the crash. | He sounded full of contrition. | They wanted to perform some kind of act of contrition (=do something that shows you feel sorry for something ).
   ▪ penitence formal a feeling of being sorry for something that you have done wrong, when you do not intend to do it again: He expressed genuine penitence at the harm he had done her. | a period of reflection and penitence
   ▪ conscience the part of your mind that tells you whether what you are doing is morally right or wrong: My conscience has been troubling me ever since.