English Explanatory Dictionary

rue

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Sorrow; repentance; regret.
  2. Pity; compassion.
verb
  1. To repent of or regret (some past action or event); to wish that a past action or event had not taken place.
  2. To cause to repent of sin or regret some past action.
  3. To cause to feel sorrow or pity.
  4. To feel compassion or pity; to take pity (on), to have compassion (on).
  5. To feel sorrow or regret.
noun
  1. Any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta, especially the herb Ruta graveolens (common rue), formerly used in medicines.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/ɹuː/ /ɹɪu̯/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-rue.wav

Word forms

rue rewe rues ruing rueing rued

Etymology

From Middle English rewe, reowe, from Old English hrēow (“sorrow, regret, penitence, repentance, penance”), from Proto-West Germanic *hreuwu (“pain, sadness, regret, repentance”). Cognates include German reuen (“to regret, to repent”) and Dutch rouwen (“to mourn, to grieve”). Probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *krows-. If so, note the same sense evolution with in this case cognate Russian круши́ть (krušítʹ, “to destroy, to shatter”), Russian сокруша́ться (sokrušátʹsja, “to be distressed, to grieve (for, over)”). Also compare Czech truchlit from Proto-Slavic *truxlъ.

Synonyms

contrition misery unhappiness blueness tristesse mirthless blues crestfallenness dejection depression despondency distress dolefulness downheartedness drearihead forlornness grief heartsore ill-being infelicity melancholia melancholy mishappiness mourn prosternation regret rue ruth sadness sorrow sorrowfulness tristfulness undelight woe woefare wretchedness agenbite remorse compunction guilt penitence repentance self-reproach sorriness sympathy bowels commiseration compassion empathy fellow feeling mercy pity tenderheartedness loving-kindness afterthink deprecate repent forthink put the fear of God into think over

Derived words

desert rue rue-bargain rueful ruefully ruefulness rue-leaved saxifrage rueless ruesome ruly ruth unrueing bushrue common rue garden rue fringed rue goat's rue meadowrue meadow rue rue anemone ruelike Syrian rue wall rue wild rue wild Syrian rue
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