From Middle English rewe, reowe, from Old English hrēow (“sorrow, regret, penitence, repentance, penance”), from Proto-West Germanic *hreuwu (“pain, sadness, regret, repentance”). Cognates include German reuen (“to regret, to repent”) and Dutch rouwen (“to mourn, to grieve”).
Probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *krows-. If so, note the same sense evolution with in this case cognate Russian круши́ть (krušítʹ, “to destroy, to shatter”), Russian сокруша́ться (sokrušátʹsja, “to be distressed, to grieve (for, over)”). Also compare Czech truchlit from Proto-Slavic *truxlъ.
When I was one-and-twenty I heard him say again, / "The heart out of the bosom was never given in vain; / 'Tis paid with sighs aplenty and sold for endless rue." / And I am two-and-twenty, and oh, 'tis true, 'tis true. 1896, A[lfred] E[dward] Housman, “[Poem] XIII”, in A Shropshire Lad, New York, N.Y.: John Lane Company, The Bodley Head, published 1906, →OCLC, stanza 2, page 21:
From Middle English rewen, ruwen, ruen, reowen, from Old English hrēowan (“to rue; make sorry; grieve”), perhaps influenced by Old Norse hryggja (“to distress, grieve”), from Proto-Germanic *hrewwaną (“to sadden; repent”).
Meanings
(transitive) To repent of or regret (some past action or event); to wish that a past action or event had not taken place.
I rued the day I crossed paths with her.
Nicola Sturgeon rues descent into ‘toxic’ debate on topics such as equal marriage [title] 2024 December 16, Libby Brooks, “Nicola Sturgeon rues descent into ‘toxic’ debate on topics such as equal marriage”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
to rue the day
And was the fact she was no longer losing large chunks of time something to be celebrated or something to be rued? 2012, Joy Fielding, Still Life:
The line used to continue to Ilfracombe, but that was closed in 1970 - another short-sighted decision that is still rued today. 2025 November 12, 'Mystery Shopper', “Is Devon the cream of the crop?”, in RAIL, number 1048, page 48:
And feminization of the homeland is something to be rued, while the feminized humiliation of the enemy for the sake of the fatherland is cause for commendation and celebration. 2009, David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race:
“If we get in a fight, you'll be ruing your lack of training.” 2014, Gary Meehan, True Fire:
I wept to see, and rued it from my heart. 1614–1615, Homer, “(please specify the book number)”, in Geo[rge] Chapman, transl., Homer’s Odysses. […], London: […] Rich[ard] Field [and William Jaggard], for Nathaniell Butter, published 1615, →OCLC; republished in The Odysseys of Homer, […], volume (please specify the book number), London: John Russell Smith, […], 1857, →OCLC:
Thy will chose freely what it now so justly rues. 1667, John Milton, “Book IV”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC:
(obsolete, transitive) To cause to repent of sin or regret some past action.
(obsolete, transitive) To cause to feel sorrow or pity.
(archaic, intransitive, obsolete, qualifier:often with on or upon) To feel compassion or pity; to take pity (on), to have compassion (on).
[…] till our Lord's clouds rue upon the earth, and send down a watring of rain: Truly , I think Christ's misty dew a welcome message from heaven, till my Lord's rain fall : […] 1724, Samuel Rutherford, Mr. Rutherfoord's Letters, now divided in three parts ... The fifth edition, page 316:
Rue on thy despairing lover! Canst thou break his faithfu' heart? 1852, Robert Burns, Poetical works (Fair Eliza), page 38:
1842, Nicholas Ridley, The Life of Nicholas Ridley
which stirred men's hearts to rue upon them
(archaic, intransitive) To feel sorrow or regret.
Old year, we'll dearly rue for you. 1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “The Death of the Old Year”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
ang hrēowan (to repent or regret a past action or event) · fr regretter (to repent or regret a past action or event) · bg разкайвам се (to repent or regret a past action or event) · gl lamentar (to repent or regret a past action or event) · pt arrepender (to repent or regret a past action or event) · cs želet (to repent or regret a past action or event) · nl berouwen (to repent or regret a past action or event) · el μετανιώνω (to repent or regret a past action or event) · de bereuen (to repent or regret a past action or event) · mi kōhau (to repent or regret a past action or event) · ru сожале́ть (to repent or regret a past action or event) · bg съжалявам (to repent or regret a past action or event) · ko 후회(後悔)하다 (to repent or regret a past action or event) · cs litovat (to repent or regret a past action or event) · uk жалкувати (to repent or regret a past action or event) · cmn 懊悔 (to repent or regret a past action or event) · fi katua (to repent or regret a past action or event)
From Middle English rue, from Anglo-Norman ruwe, Old French rue, from Latin rūta, from Ancient Greek ῥυτή (rhutḗ).
Meanings
(countable, uncountable) Any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta, especially the herb Ruta graveolens (common rue), formerly used in medicines.
Like the water lily, endive, and lettuce, rue was believed to have anti-aphrodisiac properties. 1961, Harry E. Wedeck, Dictionary of Aphrodisiacs, New York: The Citadel Press, page 211:
Ophelia:
There’s fennel for you, and columbines: there’s rue for you; and here’s some for me: we may call it herb-grace o' Sundays: O you must wear your rue with a difference. c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene v]:
But th'aged Nourse, her calling to her bowre, / Had gathered Rew, and Savine, and the flowre / Of Camphora, and Calamint, and Dill [...]. 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
The life of one plant would be affected by another. Rue was definitely hostile to basil, rosemary to hyssop, but coriander, dill and chervil lived on the friendliest of terms[.] 1940, Rosetta E. Clarkson, Green Enchantments: The Magic Spell of Gardens, The Macmillan Company, page 253:
nl ruit (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · vec rua (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · ar فَيْجَن (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · he פְּיגָם (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · ru ру́та (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · pt arruda (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · tl dora (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · dlm roita (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · hy փեգենա (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · eo ruto (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · ro rută (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · sv ruta (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · bg седефче (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · cy rhuw (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · be ру́та (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · grc πήγανον (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · ar حَزَاء (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · ota اوزرلك (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · syc ܣܕܒ (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · vec ruda (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · es ruda (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · syc ܦܝܓܢܐ (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · it ruta (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · ja 芸香 (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · is rúturunni (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · ja ヘンルーダ (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · da rude (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · grc ῥυτή (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · fur rude (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · ro virnanț (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · tr sedef otu (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · ca ruda (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · oge ტეგანი (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · fa سداب (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · sh рутвица (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · hu ruta (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · hy սպանդ (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · lt rūta (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · de Raute (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · fi ruuta (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · sh rutvica (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · vi cây vân hương (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · no vinrute (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · hy սատապ (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · vo rutadaplan (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · la ruta (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · fr rue (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · arc פיגנא (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · cs routa (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · gl ruda cabreira (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · tl ruda (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · gl ruda (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · et ruud (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · ota سدف اوتی (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · uk ру́та (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · pl ruta (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · el απήγανος (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta) · ar سُذَاب (any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta)