INDEX:
1. to wish you had not done something
2. what you say when you wish that you had not done something
3. something that you wish you had not done
4. when you think someone else will wish they had not done something
5. to not regret doing something
6. what you say when you are sorry to have to tell someone some bad news
7. with a feeling of sadness because you wish a situation was different
RELATED WORDS
to tell someone you are sorry : ↑ SORRY/APOLOGIZE
see also
↑ UNFORTUNATELY
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1. to wish you had not done something
▷ be sorry/feel sorry /biː ˈsɒri, fiːl ˈsɒriǁ-ˈsɑːri/ [verb phrase]
to feel sad, embarrassed, or annoyed about something bad or stupid that you have done, and wish you had not done it :
be sorry/feel sorry that
▪ Aunt Jean always felt a little sorry that she had never had children.
▪ I was sorry I ever agreed to go with them.
be sorry/feel sorry for
sorry for something bad that you have done
▪ I am sorry for any embarrassment I may have caused.
be sorry/feel sorry about
sorry about something that has happened
▪ Richardson said she was very sorry about the incident.
▷ regret /rɪˈgret/ [transitive verb]
to wish that you had not done something, especially because it has bad results that affect you for a long time :
▪ It was a stupid thing to say, and I immediately regretted it.
▪ The owners said they regretted the decision to close the store, but felt unable to do otherwise.
regret (that)
▪ I think she regrets now that she never went to college.
regret doing something
▪ I have always regretted giving up my piano lessons.
deeply regret
regret very much
▪ The Public Health ministry said it deeply regretted the error.
▷ wish (that) you had/hadn’t done something /ˌwɪʃ (ðət) juː həd, hædnt ˈdʌn something/ [verb phrase]
to feel that you have done the wrong thing, and wish that you had behaved differently :
▪ I wish I had told him the truth.
▪ I wish I’d realized earlier how much money I could save.
▪ She wished now that she had not agreed to go to the party.
▷ regret /rɪˈgret/ [uncountable noun]
a feeling of sadness that you have when you think you have done the wrong thing, especially because it has bad results that affect you for a long time :
▪ My main regret is that I never finished my college degree.
sigh/expression/feeling of regret
▪ ‘I was too young to know what I was doing,’ said Martha with a deep sigh of regret.
express regret
▪ Officers expressed regret about the boy’s death.
2. what you say when you wish that you had not done something
▷ why did/didn’t I do something /ˌwaɪ dɪd, dɪdnt aɪ ˈduː something/ spoken
say this when you feel you have done the wrong thing, because things would have been better if you had done something differently :
▪ Why did I say I’d clean the car? It’s going to take hours!
▪ He’s such an idiot! Why did I ever find him attractive?
▪ I’m so stupid. Why didn’t I just write it down?
▷ I could’ve kicked myself/I’ve been kicking myself etc /aɪ ˌkʊdəv ˈkɪkt maɪself, aɪv biːn ˈkɪkɪŋ maɪselfǁ-bɪn-/ spoken
say this when you are very sorry about something you have said or done, for example something embarrassing or upsetting, or something you did not want people to know :
▪ I could’ve kicked myself when I realized she was standing right behind me.
▪ I have kicked myself every day since then for not checking again to see that the doors were locked.
3. something that you wish you had not done
▷ regret /rɪˈgret/ [countable noun]
▪ My one regret is that I never visited the Taj Mahal when I was in India.
▪ Her biggest regret is that she turned down a job with Gardner’s in 1985.
▪ I knew that if I didn’t make a clean break with Victor I should be filled with regrets for the rest of my life.
4. when you think someone else will wish they had not done something
▷ somebody will be sorry / somebody wɪl biː ˈsɒriǁ-ˈsɑːri/ spoken
use this to say that someone will later regret what they have done, because something bad will happen as a result of their actions :
▪ Ed, you’ll be sorry you ever said that.
▪ If you don’t start studying for your exams, you’ll be sorry later.
▷ somebody will live to regret it / somebody wɪl ˌlɪv tə rɪˈgret ɪt/ spoken
use this to say that someone will regret what they have done at a later time, especially a few years from now :
▪ He may think leaving his wife for the other woman is a good idea, but he’ll live to regret it.
▪ If you put all your money in this real estate deal, I guarantee you’ll live to regret it.
▷ somebody will be laughing on the other side of their face/mouth / somebody wɪl biː ˌlɑːfɪŋ ɒn ði ˌʌðəʳ saɪd əv ðeəʳ ˈfeɪs, ˈmaʊθǁ-ˌlæf-/ spoken
use this to say that although someone is happy about what they have done now, they will wish they had not done it later :
▪ You’ll be laughing out of the other side of your face when I start making money with this.
5. to not regret doing something
▷ not regret /nɒt rɪˈgret/ [transitive verb]
▪ Even though this year has been a difficult one, I have never regretted my decision.
not regret doing something
▪ I still miss him sometimes, but I don’t regret breaking up with him.
not regret it
▪ It’s worth trying to save a little every month -- you won’t regret it.
▷ not be sorry /nɒt biː ˈsɒriǁ-ˈsɑːri/ [verb phrase]
to not feel sorry that you did something, especially when other people think you should :
not be sorry (that)
▪ I’m not sorry I never got married -- I’m only sorry I didn’t have any children.
not be sorry to do something
▪ She wasn’t sorry to leave her job.
not be sorry about
▪ Richards says she still isn’t sorry about making jokes about the president.
not be sorry for
▪ I’m not sorry for what I said. Somebody had to tell the truth, even if people don’t like it.
▷ have no regrets /hæv ˌnəʊ rɪˈgrets/ [verb phrase]
to be glad that you did a particular thing or that things happened in a particular way :
▪ I’m glad I left Britain and came to live in the US. I have no regrets.
▪ She had decided to have the baby and had no regrets about her decision.
have few regrets
▪ Even though it’s hard work they have few regrets about setting up their own business.
▷ somebody would do the same (thing) again/somebody would do it again / somebody wʊd duː ðə ˌseɪm θɪŋ əˈgen, somebody wʊd ˌduː ɪt əˈgen, somebody wʊd ˌduː ɪt əˈgen/ spoken
use this when you are not at all sorry that you did something, especially something important in your life :
▪ ‘Are you sorry you left home so young?’ ‘Oh no, I’d do the same thing again.’
▪ He insulted me, so I hit him. And I’d do it again.
▪ Julia doesn’t regret having Ben, and if she could turn the clock back she’d do the same again.
▪ I wasn’t always happy, but I’d do it again if I had the chance.
▷ I wouldn’t change a thing /aɪ ˌwʊdnt tʃeɪndʒ ə ˈθɪŋ/ spoken
say this when you do not regret a situation that happened in the past, even if it involved problems or if it upset you at that time :
▪ Sure, I was devastated when Harry went back to his wife, but even so I wouldn’t change a thing.
6. what you say when you are sorry to have to tell someone some bad news
▷ I’m sorry /aɪm ˈsɒriǁ-ˈsɑːri/:
▪ ‘Could you lend me a couple of pounds, Katy?’ ‘Sorry, I don’t have any money.’
▪ I’m sorry that I can’t help.
I’m sorry to do something
▪ I’m sorry to have to tell you that your grandmother is in hospital.
▷ regret /rɪˈgret/ [transitive verb]
used in formal letters and official announcements giving someone some bad news :
▪ The airport announced that due to bad weather all flights were cancelled, and they regretted any inconvenience this would cause.
regret to inform/tell/say etc
▪ The management regrets to inform you that your contract will not be renewed next month.
▪ I regret to say that a number of statements made by the department were incorrect.
7. with a feeling of sadness because you wish a situation was different
▷ with regret /wɪð rɪˈgret/ [adverb]
▪ He spoke with regret of his decision to leave office.
▪ People who’ve left the town and then returned notice the changes most, sometimes with regret.
with deep/great regret
with a lot of regret
▪ We have accepted her resignation with deep regret.
▷ regretfully /rɪˈgretf ə li/ [adverb]
if you say or do something regretfully, you say or do it sadly because you do not want to say or do it :
▪ ‘We’d better go back,’ she said regretfully, ‘before it rains.’
▪ A news release issued by the singer’s publicist said he had ‘regretfully’ severed all ties to the band because of ‘creative differences’.
regretful [adjective]
▪ He sounds more regretful than angry when he talks of his divorce.