MEANING
1. To regret an action or circumstance, often with a sense of its unwelcome consequences.
2. An aromatic plant of the rue group, especially common rue, with divided leaves and yellow flowers.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- rue the day
- rue a decision
On the page
He rued the promise as soon as the second letter arrived.
She would rue the day she had mistaken his silence for loyalty.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- rue
- Past tense
- rued
- Past participle
- rued
- Present participle
- ruing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- rue
- Present continuous
- am/is/are ruing
- Present perfect
- have/has rued
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been ruing
- Past
- rued
- Past continuous
- was/were ruing
- Past perfect
- had rued
- Past perfect continuous
- had been ruing
- Future
- will rue
- Future continuous
- will be ruing
- Future perfect
- will have rued
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been ruing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
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Usage notes
Primary category: psychological / character. Forms: rue; rues; rued; rued; ruing Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: rues.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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