World Languages Lexicon
10 Language-to-English Dictionariesreuevoll
Pronunciation / Transliteration: /ˈʁɔɪ̯əˌfʊl/
"Er zeigte ein reuevolles Lächeln nach dem Missgeschick."
Comprehensive Definitions & Senses
2 senses- 1
Expressing sorrow or regret, especially in a wry or humorous way.
"He offered a rueful smile when he realized he had locked his keys inside the car again." - 2
Causing feeling of pity or compassion; mournful or deplorable.
"She surveyed the damage to her garden with a rueful shake of her head."
Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum
Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology
Derived from the Middle English noun 'rue' (meaning sorrow or pity, from Old English 'hrēow') combined with the suffix '-ful' (meaning full of). Over time, the term evolved from denoting general grief or repentance to specifically describing an expression or feeling that mixes regret, sorrow, and often a touch of wry humor.
Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Rueful"?
10 Global Lexicons: How "Rueful" is said worldwide
Click any language below to open its dedicated Language to English dictionary page with native script & transliteration
piteux
Transliteration: /pi.tø/
"Il a eu un sourire piteux en comprenant son erreur."
reuevoll
Transliteration: /ˈʁɔɪ̯əˌfʊl/
"Er zeigte ein reuevolles Lächeln nach dem Missgeschick."
rammaricato
Transliteration: /ram.ma.riˈka.to/
"Fece un sorriso rammaricato per l'inconveniente."
irónico
Transliteration: /iˈɾo.ni.ko/
"Dio una sonrisa irónica tras cometer el error."
arrependido
Transliteration: /a.ʁe.pẽˈdi.du/
"Ele deu um sorriso arrependido ao perceber a confusão."
पछतावे से भरा
Transliteration: pachhtave se bhara
"उसने अपनी गलती पर एक पछतावे भरी मुस्कान दी।"
苦笑的
Transliteration: kǔxiào de
"他意识到自己犯错后，露出了苦笑。"
씁쓸한
Transliteration: sseup-sseul-han
"그는 실수를 깨닫고 씁쓸한 미소를 지었다."
苦笑いの
Transliteration: nigawarai no
"彼は自分のミスに気づき、苦笑いを浮かべた。"
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Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Rueful"
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