rue
- 01 C1 Advanced
v.to feel very sorry about something you did and wish you could change it.
v.to feel sorrow or regret for a past action or event. Transitive — always takes a direct object, often a decision or a specific day.
Simple“He will rue the day he decided to quit his job without a plan.”
In context“The former CEO lived to rue his decision to sell the company's patents, watching helplessly as his competitors dominated the market.”
UsageCommonly appears in the fixed expression 'rue the day'.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
n.a small plant with yellow flowers and a very bitter taste, sometimes used in old medicines.
n.any of various perennial shrubs of the genus Ruta, characterized by bitter-tasting leaves and historically used in herbal medicine.
Simple“The garden was filled with herbs like rosemary, thyme, and rue.”
In context“In traditional herbalism, rue was often cultivated for its supposed medicinal properties, despite its extreme bitterness and potential toxicity.”
UsageUsually uncountable when referring to the plant species generally.
Synonymsherb of grace