ruefully

[ roo-fuh-lee ]

adverb

1. in a mournful or doleful way:

   I found myself sitting ruefully by the side of the road, near a little town in North Carolina, waiting for a tow truck.

2. in a way that suggests repentance or regret:

   He is aware of his own flaws, at times ruefully so.

Other Words From

• half-rue·ful·ly adverb
• un·rue·ful·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of ruefully¹

rueful ( def ) + -ly

Example Sentences

"It's still a bit damp", he smiled ruefully, "but we've got to get this wheat in before it rains again."

From BBC

“She was more unpopular than the Boston Strangler,” her attorney, F. Lee Bailey, would say ruefully.

From Los Angeles Times

Though sometimes a bit lonely — she misses her late husband Teddy, and notes ruefully that “all of my friends are dead. … I didn’t expect to get so old” — she’s doing well.

From Seattle Times

"You sort of watch it die," Mr Wilkins reflects, ruefully.

From BBC

El Playon, the war’s ruefully named “playground,” was used as a clandestine site to dump dead bodies.

From Los Angeles Times