rue
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /ɹuː/
ipa: /ɹɪu̯/
rhymes: -uː
homophone: roo
homophone: roux
Forms: form: rues
form: ruing
form: rueing
form: rued
form: rued
form: rewe
Etymology: 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”).
Senses: examples: text: to rue the day
text: I rued the day I crossed paths with her.
text: I wept to see, and rued it from my heart.
ref: 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:
text: Thy will chose freely what it now so justly rues.
ref: 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:
text: 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.
ref: 2009, David Theo Goldberg, The Threat of Race:
text: And was the fact she was no longer losing large chunks of time something to be celebrated or something to be rued?
ref: 2012, Joy Fielding, Still Life:
text: “If we get in a fight, you'll be ruing your lack of training.”
ref: 2014, Gary Meehan, True Fire:
text: Nicola Sturgeon rues descent into ‘toxic’ debate on topics such as equal marriage [title]
ref: 2024 December 16, Libby Brooks, “Nicola Sturgeon rues descent into ‘toxic’ debate on topics such as equal marriage”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
synonyms: afterthink
deprecate
regret
repent
glosses: To repent of or regret (some past action or event); to wish that a past action or event had not taken place.
synonyms: forthink
put the fear of God into
think over
glosses: To cause to repent of sin or regret some past action.
synonyms: word: deject
word: depress
word: aggrieve
word: attrist
word: begloom
word: begrieve
word: besorrow
word: grieve
word: bring down
word: contristate
word: dash
word: deject
word: depress
word: desolate
word: dispirit
word: engrieve
word: forset
word: get down
word: grieven
word: moan
word: oppress
word: rue
word: sadden
word: sadden up
word: tristitiate
word: ungladden
word: unhappy
word: upset
glosses: To cause to feel sorrow or pity.
examples: text: […] 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 : […]
ref: 1724, Samuel Rutherford, Mr. Rutherfoord's Letters, now divided in three parts ... The fifth edition, page 316:
text: 1842, Nicholas Ridley, The Life of Nicholas Ridley
which stirred men's hearts to rue upon them
text: Rue on thy despairing lover! Canst thou break his faithfu' heart?
ref: 1852, Robert Burns, Poetical works (Fair Eliza), page 38:
synonyms: word: commiserate
word: compassionate
word: feel sorry for
word: mercify
word: commiserate
word: compassion
word: compassionate
word: condole
word: feel someone's pain
word: feel sorry for
word: mercify
word: pity
word: rue
word: take pity
qualifier: often with on or upon
glosses: To feel compassion or pity; to take pity (on), to have compassion (on).
examples: text: Old year, we'll dearly rue for you.
ref: 1832 December (indicated as 1833), Alfred Tennyson, “The Death of the Old Year”, in Poems, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC:
synonyms: word: grieve
word: mourn
word: aggrieve
word: besorrow
word: condole
word: engrieve
word: erme
word: gloom
word: grieve
word: grieven
word: bleed
word: lament
word: moan
word: mourn
word: regret
word: rue
word: sigh
word: sorrow
word: wayment
word: yearn
glosses: To feel sorrow or regret.