Regret is a feeling of sadness or disappointment about something that has happened or been done, often accompanied by a wish that it had been avoided. It can also denote remorse for a specific action. The term spans emotional, moral, and reflective dimensions, and is commonly used in personal, social, and professional contexts to express contrition or longing for a different outcome.
"She felt a deep regret after missing the final concert."
"There is regret in his voice when he recalls the decision."
"She expressed regret over the mistake but outlined steps to improve."
"Regret can lead to learning, as people reflect on past choices."
Regret comes from the Old French regret, from regreter meaning to deplore or lament, itself derived from re- (again) and gret (grief, complaint). In Middle English, the word carried the sense of sorrow for something that has happened, often with moral or social consequences. The core sense shifted toward a psychological feeling of remorse as individual responsibility in actions became more prominent in literature and philosophy from the 14th century onward. By the 16th–17th centuries, regret was commonly used in moral discourse, addressing emotions tied to missed opportunities, errors of judgment, or guilt. The modern usage preserves this blend of emotional response and evaluative feeling, frequently paired with verbs like feel, express, or harbor, and adjectives such as deep, intense, or lingering. The word is now ubiquitous in everyday speech and formal writing, appearing in both personal memoirs and clinical discussions of affect and decision-making.
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💡 These words have similar meanings to "Regret" and can often be used interchangeably.
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Words that rhyme with "Regret"
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Regret is pronounced with stress on the second syllable: /rɪˈɡrɛt/. Start with a short, lax /rɪ/ adopting a quick, relaxed vowel. The second syllable carries the main emphasis: /ˈɡr ɛt/ where the mouth closes slightly for the /ɡ/ and the final /ɛ/ is a mid-open vowel before a clear /t/. Accent the final consonant crisply: /t/.
Common mistakes include misplacing the stress (e.g., saying /ˈrɛɡrɪt/), misproducing the /ɡr/ cluster by delaying the /ɡ/ leading to a crisper onset, or shortening the /ɛ/ to a schwa in fast speech. To correct: keep the /ɡr/ together as a single onset, ensure the vowel is a clear /ɛ/ (as in bet) rather than a reduced vowel, and maintain crisp final /t/ by releasing with a small puff of air.
In US/UK/AU, /r/ is rhotic in US and AU, so you start with an /r/ sound. UK tends to non-rhotic speakers who may provide a weaker or less pronounced /r/ before a vowel; however, in Regret the /r/ is often still heard in careful speech. Vowel quality remains similar, with /ɪ/ in the first syllable and /ɛ/ in the second; the main differences lie in the /r/ realization and vowel length before voiceless consonants. IPA guides: US /rɪˈɡrɛt/, UK /rɪˈɡrɛt/, AU /rɪˈɡrɛt/—rhotic with slight diphthong height variation before /t/.
The challenge comes from the /ɡr/ cluster and the /ɛ/ vowel juxtaposition; beginners often compress the /r/ or blur the /ɡr/ onset, turning it into /rɪt/ or /rɡet/. Precise tongue contact for /ɡ/ and a quick but not too blunt /t/ release can feel tricky. Additionally, maintaining the mid-open /ɛ/ without veering toward /eɪ/ in rapid speech requires deliberate practice.
Regret centers the stress on the second syllable, which can be overlooked when rushing. The /ɡr/ onset blends the back-velar stop with an immediate /r/ coloring, so you should avoid separating the onset; keep a tight, single syllable onset /ɡr/. Lip rounding is mild for /r/ and /ɛ/ remains lax but distinct. IPA reference: /rɪˈɡrɛt/.
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