regrettably vs. regretfully : Choose Your Words - Vocabulary.com

The sentence adverb regrettably is good for expressing regret, or sorrow, about an unfortunate event. If you forgot that today, May 5th, is your brother's ... Regrettablyisusedwhensomething'sabummer,butit'snotnecessarilyyourfault.Regretfullyiswhenyou'refullofregret,likeifyoudecidedtostayhomeandyourfriendssawyourcrushatthedance. Bothwordshavethesameroot:regret,meaningtofeelsadness,repentance,ordisappointment,buttheyeachhavetheirownwayofdealingwithit.Regrettablydescribessomethingthatdeservesregret,andisusedliketheword"unfortunately."Regrettablyislikebadluck,anditoftenkicksoffasentence: Regrettably,Mr.GaoandDr.Liu'simprisonmentreflecttheincreasedassaultsontheruleoflawandtherepressionfacedbyhumanrightsadvocatesinChina.(CouncilforaCommunityofDemocracies) Regrettably,someconsumeradvocateshavejoinedinthatchorus.(NewYorkTimes) "Regrettably,fewweaponsinthehistoryofwarfare,oncecreated,havegoneunused,"Lynnsaid.(Forbes) Butregretfullyismorelikeapolitewaytosaysadly,likeifyoumustregretfullydeclineaninvitationtothegardenparty.Orifyou'refullofregret,likeifyouregretfullystayedinonSaturdaynightbecauseyouthoughtthepartywouldbeboring.Regretfullycanbeginasentence,butitusuallydoesn't: "Iamhalfsorrywesparedhimafterall,"Leonidassaidregretfully.(RobertH.Fuller) Themanlookeddownathisboysadly,sorrowfully,regretfully.(MauriceThompson) Peoplehaveconfusedthemsooften,byusingregretfullyasasentenceadverbtomeanunfortunately,thatit'skindofokaytodoitnow.Bothwordslookbehindthemandwishsomethingelsehadhappened,butregrettablyiswhenit'snotyourfault,andregretfullyiswhenyou'refullofit.(Regret,thatis.) Print Definition: regretful Regretfuldescribesthefeelingofbeingsorryforsomethingyoudid—ordidn'tdo—orsomethingthathappened.Ifyouareregretfulabouthowyoutreatedyourbrotherwhenyouwerelittle,younowwishyouhadbeennicer.Continuereading... Definition: regretfully Usetheadverbregretfullytomean"withregret"—thesorrowyoufeelaboutsomethingthathasalreadyhappened.Forexample,littlekidswouldregretfullyturnoverthecandybarstheystolefromthegrocerystore.Continuereading... Definition: regrettable Regrettabledescribesthingsthatmakeyoufeelsorry.Lettingyoursisterborrowyourownsnowshovelbecamearegrettabledecisionthemomentthebigstormstarted.Continuereading... Definition: regrettably Thesentenceadverbregrettablyisgoodforexpressingregret,orsorrow,aboutanunfortunateevent.Ifyouforgotthattoday,May5th,isyourbrother'sbirthday,youmightsay,"Regrettably,Ithoughttodaywasthefourth."Continuereading... MoreCommonlyConfusedWords abhorrent/aberrant accept/except ado/adieu adopt/adapt adverse/averse affect/effect afflict/inflict aggravate/irritate allude/elude allusion/illusion/delusion alternate/alternative ambiguous/ambivalent amicable/amiable amoral/immoral amuse/bemuse anecdote/antidote appraise/apprise ascent/assent assume/presume assure/ensure/insure aural/oral/verbal aver/avow bare/bear bazaar/bizarre breach/breech bridal/bridle broach/brooch callus/callous capital/capitol censor/censure chord/cord cite/site/sight climactic/climatic complement/compliment compose/comprise concurrent/consecutive confident/confidant(e) connotation/denotation connote/denote conscious/conscience contemptible/contemptuous continual/continuous correlation/corollary council/counsel decent/descent/dissent definitely/definitively demur/demure desert/dessert didactic/pedantic disassemble/dissemble discomfit/discomfort discreet/discrete disillusion/dissolution disinterested/uninterested disperse/disburse dual/duel economic/economical elusive/illusive emigrate/immigrate/migrate eminent/imminent eminent/imminent/immanent empathy/sympathy endemic/epidemic entitle/title entomology/etymology envelop/envelope envy/jealousy epidemic/pandemic epigram/epigraph epitaph/epithet especially/specially exalt/exult exercise/exorcise expedient/expeditious extant/extent facetious/factious/fatuous faint/feint farther/further faze/phase ferment/foment fictional/fictitious/fictive figuratively/literally flair/flare flaunt/flout flounder/founder formerly/formally formidable/formative fortunate/fortuitous gambit/gamut gibe/jibe gig/jig gorilla/guerrilla grisly/gristly/grizzly hale/hail healthful/healthy hero/protagonist historic/historical hoard/horde homonym/homophone/homograph hone/home imply/infer incredible/incredulous indeterminate/indeterminable indict/indite inflammable/inflammatory ingenious/ingenuous insidious/invidious instant/instance intense/intensive/intent introvert/extrovert irony/satire/sarcasm it's/its laudable/laudatory lay/lie loath/loathe lose/loose luxuriant/luxurious marital/martial mean/median/average medal/meddle/mettle metaphor/simile moral/morale morbid/moribund nauseated/nauseous naval/navel objective/subjective optimistic/pessimistic overdue/overdo palate/palette/pallet paradox/oxymoron parameter/perimeter parody/parity peak/peek/pique peddle/pedal/petal persecute/prosecute personal/personnel pitiable/pitiful/piteous/pitiless pore/pour practical/practicable pragmatic/dogmatic precede/proceed precedent/president predominate/predominant premier/premiere prescribe/proscribe pretentious/portentous principal/principle prophecy/prophesy prostate/prostrate quote/quotation rebut/refute regrettably/regretfully reluctant/reticent respectfully/respectively sac/sack scrimp/skimp sensor/censor/censer sensual/sensuous simple/simplistic slight/sleight stationary/stationery statue/statute than/then that/which their/there/they're tortuous/torturous troop/troupe turbid/turgid unconscionable/unconscious undo/undue unexceptional/unexceptionable venal/venial veracious/voracious wave/waive weather/whether/wether who/whom who's/whose wreck/wreak/reek your/you're Signupnow(it’sfree!) 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