Dictionary

regrettable en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio

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 *-dʰlom Proto-Italic *-ðlom Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English regrettable From regret + -able.

Meanings

1. Able to be regretted, especially deserving of regret.
   • The officers' actions were regrettable, yes, but there's nothing to be done now but to relocate everyone to the mainland in a calm and orderly manner.
   • And when they do, readers may find themselves on an unfamiliar website with an odd name, faced with a photo gallery of regrettable tattoos or a listicle on 22 celebrities with ugly spouses. 2019 October 4, Tiffany Hsu, “You Will Be Shocked by This Article”, in The New York Times, →ISSN, archived from the original on 25 Mar 2020:
   • Jeeves: Foreign travel often liberates emotions best kept in check, sir. The air of North America is notoriously stimulating in this regard, as witness the regrettable behavior of its inhabitants in 1776. B. Wooster: Hm? What happened in 1776, Jeeves? Jeeves: I prefer not to dwell on it, if it's convenient to you, sir. 1991 May 12, “Kidnapped!”, in Jeeves and Wooster, Series 2, Episode 5:

Forms

Deriveds

unregrettable · regrettableness

Relateds

regrettably · regretter · regretfulness · regretful · regretfully · regret

Synonyms

heartbreaking · heartrending · atrabiliary · grievous · woeful · pitiful · miserable · depressing · sorrowful · sad · atrabilious · deplorable · woebegone · mournful · lamentable · regrettable · lachrymable · tragic · upsetting · unhappy · rueful · distressing · saddening · deplorable

Translations (32)

ka დასანანი (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · km គួរអាយសោកស្តាយ (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · pl godny pożałowania (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · th น่าเสียใจ (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · vi đáng tiếc (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · de bedauernswert (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · el λυπηρός (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · de bedauerlich (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · hu sajnálatos (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · cmn 令人遺憾的 /令人遗憾的 (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · bg достоен за съжаление (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · ca lamentable (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · cs politováníhodný (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · vi đáng ân hận (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · th น่าเสียดาย (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · pt lamentável (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · it riprovevole (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · io regretinda (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · pl godny ubolewania (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · pdt schod (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · nl betreurenswaardig (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · sv beklagansvärd (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · it increscioso (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · it deprecabile (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · fi harmillinen (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · la paenitendus (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · es lamentable (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · ru прискорбный (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · be сумны (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · fr regrettable (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · pt deplorável (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret) · it deplorevole (of an event, action, or state, allowing or deserving regret)