Regrettable Meaning
/rɪˈɡrɛtəbəl/Definition, CEFR level B2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
adjAble to be regretted, especially deserving of regret.
Sentence Examples
It is regrettable that you did not start earlier.
It is truly regrettable.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
CEFR Practice Quiz
The team's decision to cut funding was a ____ mistake that hurt many students.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The loss of the historic building was deeply ____ and could have been avoided with better planning.
Word Origin & History
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 *-tḗr Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlom Proto-Indo-European *-dʰlis Proto-Italic *-ðlis Latin -bilis Latin -ābilis Old French -ablebor. Middle English -able English -able English regrettable From regret + -able.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"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:
"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:
Explore More B2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The team's decision to cut funding was a ____ mistake that hurt many students.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The loss of the historic building was deeply ____ and could have been avoided with better planning.