rue Definition

rue¹
verb

rued, ruing, rueing
1. To regret; to wish that something had not been or had not happened.

Thesaurus: regret, deplore, mourn, lament, bemoan, bewail, repent; Antonym: rejoice.

Derivative: rueful

Feeling or showing sorrow or regret.
Thesaurus: sorry, conscience-stricken, remorseful, grievous, regretful, contrite, penitent, self-reproachful, woeful, melancholy, lugubrious; Antonym: defiant.

Inspiring pity or sorrow.

Derivative: ruefully
adverb

Derivative: ruefulness
noun

Etymology: Anglo-Saxon hreowan.

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rue²
noun

1. A strongly scented evergreen plant with bitter leaves which were formerly used in medicine. The plant is traditionally a symbol of repentance.

Etymology: 14c: from Greek rhyte; the symbol of repentance is in allusion to rue¹.