regret

English

/ɹɪˈɡɹɛt/

verb
Definitions
  • 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.
  • (more generally) To feel sorry about (any thing).
  • (archaic) To miss; to feel the loss or absence of.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English regretten derived from Old French regreter (lament) derived from Frankish *grātan (weep, mourn, lament) derived from Proto-Germanic *grētaną (weep, moan, cry, lament) derived from Frankish *greutan (cry, weep) derived from Proto-Germanic *greutaną (cry, weep) derived from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrewd- (be sad, weep) affix from English greet (weep).

Origin

English

greet

Gloss

weep

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms