regrettably

R1E1G2R1E1T1T1A1B3L1Y4

adverb

In a manner inspiring or deserving regret.

“Your exam results are regrettably poor: you should regretfully reflect on all the time wasted reading comics.”

Similar
regretfullyunfortunatelyunluckilyalas
OriginEnglish regrettable ← Middle English regretten ← Old French regreter →
Less commonScrabble 17
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Meanings

adverbregrettably (comparative more regrettably, superlative most regrettably)

comparative more regrettably · superlative most regrettably

  1. In a manner inspiring or deserving regret.

    Your exam results are regrettably poor: you should regretfully reflect on all the time wasted reading comics.

    Synonyms: regretfully, unfortunately

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbIn a manner inspiring or deserving regret.

Similar
regretfullyunfortunately

More synonyms by meaning

adverbby bad luck

Similar
unfortunatelyunluckilyalas
Also see
alasdolefullyregretfullysadlyunfortunatelyunluckily

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Proto-Italic*wre-
  2. Latinre-
  3. Old Frenchre-
  4. Proto-Indo-European*ǵʰreh₁d-
  5. Proto-Germanic*grētaną
  6. Frankish*grātan
  7. Old French*greter
  8. Old Frenchregreter
  9. Middle Englishregretten
  10. Englishregret
  11. Englishregrettable
  12. Englishregrettably

From regrettable + -ly.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan lamentablement
  • lamentablementin a manner inspiring or deserving regret
Chinese Mandarin 遗憾地, 抱歉地
  • 遗憾地in a manner inspiring or deserving regret
  • 抱歉地in a manner inspiring or deserving regret
Danish beklageligvis, desværre
  • beklageligvisin a manner inspiring or deserving regret
  • desværrein a manner inspiring or deserving regret
Esperanto bedaŭrinde
  • bedaŭrindein a manner inspiring or deserving regret
Finnish valitettavasti
  • valitettavastiin a manner inspiring or deserving regret
German bedauerlicherweise
  • bedauerlicherweisein a manner inspiring or deserving regret
Hungarian sajnálatosan
  • sajnálatosanin a manner inspiring or deserving regret
Portuguese lamentavelmente
  • lamentavelmentein a manner inspiring or deserving regret
Spanish lamentablemente, desgraciadamente
  • lamentablementein a manner inspiring or deserving regret
  • desgraciadamentein a manner inspiring or deserving regret
Cite this entry
APA

regrettably. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regrettably

MLA

“regrettably.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regrettably. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “regrettably,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/regrettably.

Source: regrettably on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.