English Reference
Adjective

regrettable

adj.
C1 Advanced US /ɹɪˈɡɹɛtəbəɫ/ UK /ɹɪɡɹˈɛtəbəl/ re·gret·table

adj.causing a feeling of sadness or disappointment because it is bad or wrong. You use this to describe a situation that you wish had not happened.

adj.causing or deserving of regret; expressing a feeling of sorrow or disappointment. Often used to describe events or circumstances that are unfortunate or undesirable.


SIMPLE

The company issued a regrettable apology for the mistake.

CONTEXTUAL

It was a regrettable situation that led to the cancellation of the entire project just weeks before the deadline.

COMPLEX

While the decision was necessary to ensure long-term stability, it was a regrettable loss for the local community that had relied on the facility for decades.

Mitchell described the response as "regrettable and very unfortunate".

BreakingNews.ie· 17 Aug 2026

It’s a regrettable reality that there is never enough time to cover all the interesting scientific stories we come across.

Ars Technica· 3 Aug 2026

From regret + -able.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated