rue

¹

[ roo ]

verb (used with object)

, rued, ru·ing.

1. to feel sorrow over; repent of; regret bitterly:

   to rue the loss of opportunities.

2. to wish that (something) had never been done, taken place, etc.:

   I rue the day he was born.

verb (used without object)

, rued, ru·ing.

1. to feel sorrow, repentance, or regret.

noun

1. sorrow; repentance; regret.
2. pity or compassion.

rue

²

[ roo ]

noun

1. any strongly scented plant of the genus Ruta, especially R. graveolens, having yellow flowers and leaves formerly used in medicine.

rue

¹

/ ruː /

noun

1. any rutaceous plant of the genus Ruta , esp R. graveolens , an aromatic Eurasian shrub with small yellow flowers and evergreen leaves which yield an acrid volatile oil, formerly used medicinally as a narcotic and stimulant Archaic nameherb of grace Compare goat's-rue meadow rue wall rue

rue

²

/ ruː /

verb

1. to feel sorrow, remorse, or regret for (one's own wrongdoing, past events with unpleasant consequences, etc)

noun

1. archaic.
   sorrow, pity, or regret

Derived Forms

• ˈruer, noun

Other Words From

• ruer noun
• un·rued adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of rue¹

before 900; (v.) Middle English ruen, rewen, Old English hrēowan; cognate with Dutch rouwen, German reuen; (noun) Middle English rewe, reowe, Old English hrēow; cognate with Dutch rouw, German Reue; ruth

Origin of rue²

1350–1400; Middle English < Middle French < Latin rūta < Greek rhȳtḗ

Word History and Origins

Origin of rue¹

C14: from Old French, from Latin rūta , from Greek rhutē

Origin of rue²

Old English hrēowan ; related to Old Saxon hreuwan , Old High German hriuwan

Example Sentences

That in itself is remarkable given that just under a year ago, the 35-year-old Englishman was rueing missing a five-foot putt that brought into question the future of his playing career.

From BBC

Midfielder Rice said he was "proud" of his team-mates for the fight they showed but rued the "naivety" which ultimately cost them.

From BBC

Bangladesh were left to rue a dropped catch in the eighth over after Fahima shelled a straightforward chance offered by Brits, when she was on 21.

From BBC

Set a target of 116 to win, New Zealand comfortably chased it down in 17.3 overs but may rue not having the power and positivity to get the job done sooner.

From BBC

Though they took a point back to Tyneside this time, Gordon will rue the penalty miss, as well as another gilt-edged chance to win it in the second half.

From BBC