Word
repent
Phoneticsre·pent, stress on the second syllable
/ɹɪˈpɛnt/
Definitions
01to feel remorse
C1 · Advanced Formal
v. to feel sincere regret for your past actions and decide to do what is right in the future.
v. to experience sincere remorse or regret for one's past actions or omissions. Often intransitive and followed by the preposition 'of'.
“He truly repented of his cruel words after seeing how much they hurt his friend.”
“The prisoner claimed to have repented of his crimes, yet the parole board remained unconvinced of his sudden moral transformation.”
02religious sorrow
C1 · Advanced Religion Formal
v. to be sorry for your sins and turn away from bad behavior to seek forgiveness.
v. to experience contrition for sin as a moral evil, accompanied by a commitment to amend one's life.
“The preacher called on the people to repent and start a new life.”
“In many theological traditions, the sinner must sincerely repent before they can receive absolution from the church.”
03creeping plants
C2 · Proficiency Science Technical
adj. describing a plant that grows by creeping along the ground.
adj. describing a plant stem or organism that creeps along the ground or surface, often rooting at intervals.
“The garden was covered in a repent vine that spread quickly across the soil.”
“The botanist identified the specimen as a repent species, noting how the stems formed a dense mat over the forest floor.”
Antonyms
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'of' or 'for' ('to repent of one's sins').
Pitfall
He repented his sins to the priest.
He repented of his sins.
While sometimes used transitively, 'repent' most naturally takes the preposition 'of' when referring to the specific actions being regretted.
Real-World Examples
“After all, with freedom we sin, and with freedom we repent.” Etymology
From Middle English repenten, from Old French repentir, from Vulgar Latin *repaenitīre, from Late Latin paenitīre, from Classical Latin paenitēre. Compare Modern French repentir.
From Latin rēpēns, present participle of rēpō (“I creep”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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