repentant

[ ri-pen-tnt, -pen-tuhnt ]

adjective

1. repenting; repent; penitent; experiencing repentance.
2. characterized by or showing repentance:

   a repentant mood.

Other Words From

• re·pentant·ly adverb
• half-re·pentant adjective
• nonre·pentant adjective
• nonre·pentant·ly adverb
• unre·pentant adjective
• unre·pentant·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of repentant¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English repentaunt, from Old French repentant, present participle of repentir; equivalent to repent ¹ + -ant

Example Sentences

Thanh portrays himself as a repentant figure who now regrets his life of crime and wants to speak out to prevent other Vietnamese people from making the same mistakes.

From BBC

Some had arrived at Quinto’s page searching for a repentant statement in response to the public backlash.

From Los Angeles Times

After going through weeks of rehabilitation there, the men are reintegrated into society under the government's ongoing amnesty programme for repentant Boko Haram members.

From BBC

Stories range from the title piece, about the death of his mother; to an account of a filmmaker in search of painkillers on a bank holiday weekend to the tale of a repentant vampire.

From Seattle Times

“I invented the game but I lost like a fool,” a heartbroken Jagger sings on this mid-tempo ballad, sounding uncharacteristically regretful and even repentant.

From New York Times

Related Words

• apologetic
• contrite
• regretful
• remorseful