REGRETFULLY | Meaning & Definition for UK English - Lexico ...

The adverbs regretfully and regrettably have not, however, preserved the same distinction. Regretfully is used as a normal adverb to mean 'in a regretful ... HomeUKEnglishregretfullyadverb1Inaregretfulmanner.‘hesighedregretfully’Moreexamplesentences‘Shesighedregretfullyandwalkedtoherassigneddesk.’‘Nicholassighedregretfully;hehadn'tmeanttolosehistemperlikethat.’‘Shesighed,andregretfullydisentangledherselffromSteve,wholookedpuzzled.’‘Isighedandregretfullypulledoutasmallblackcasethatheldapairofglasses.’‘Hesighed,moreexhaustedlythanregretfully,Ithought.’‘But,asheregretfullylearned,hisadoptees'publichighschoolsweresobadthatmanyofthekidsdroppedout,squanderinganextraordinaryopportunity.’‘ThefirstofthoseteamswereduetoarriveinSligoyesterdayafternoon,buttheorganisershadtoregretfullyinformthemthattheeventwouldnotgoahead.’‘TheFiddler'sGreenFestivalCommitteehasregretfullyannouncedthattheTommyFlemingconcertscheduledforWednesdayJuly23hasbeencancelled.’‘‘Compromisewassimplynotpossible,’hedeclared,regretfully.’‘ThehalfhourhaspassedalltooquicklyandregretfullyweboardourboatandreturntoFreshwaterBasinenrichedbyauniqueexperienceandloadedwithphotographstobedeveloped.’‘Michaelhadletgoofmywaist,Inoticed,regretfully.’‘Whenwefinallydecidedonanenforcementaction,havinghadtoveryregretfullyreachtheconclusionthattherewasnootherway,wediditproperly.’‘Unfortunately,despiteconsiderableenthusiasmshowntowardstheinitialconcept,audienceturnoutwaspoorandtheplugwasregretfullypulled.’‘Ahot-potisintheoven,whichIregretfullyturndownbecauseI'dalreadyeatenlunch,howeverIdoacceptacupofteaandasliceofherChristmascake.’‘Myanswertoallofthesequestionsis,regretfully,no.’‘Becauseofthis,andtheproximityofotherRomanCatholicchurchestoDurrington,thedecisionwasregretfullytakentoclosethechurch.’‘Thedayswhenyoucouldrecogniseaperson'soriginsbytheirrichanddiverseregionalaccentsareregretfullyslippingaway.’‘Iwastherewithherattheparty,butthenstupidly,andveryregretfully,Ileft.’‘Sincethen,wehaveregretfullypickedupourbeachtowelsandcoolersandheadedbacktothecosmicparkinglot.’‘Sadly,hehasnotrecoveredandtheyregretfullyannouncedhisresignationonMonday.’1.1sentenceadverbItisregrettablethat.‘regretfully,mountingcostsforcedthebranchtoclose’Moreexamplesentences‘(Ihearthatnooneisturnedawayexcept,regretfully,onequiteheftycharacterinaswirlingkilt-butthat'sanotherstory).’‘Butregretfully,wewillnotbecateringtothataudiencebecauseit'sreallyaniche.’‘Intheend,regretfully,Ichosenoneofthem,preferringinsteadtwobooksIreadquitefrequently,oneforitsastonishinguseoflanguageandtheotherforthehauntingquietudeofitstale.’‘Wewilltrytonegotiatewiththelandownerandifthatfailsregretfullywemayhavetoapplyforacourtinjunctionbutthisisverymuchapositionoflastresort.’‘And,regretfully,itisextremelyunlikelythatwe'llseehimemergingfromhisshowerafewmonthslater,complainingabouttheawfuldreamhehadlastnight.’‘Thepointisthatitisnotpossible,regretfully,intheworldinwhichwelive,forustoguaranteeanyone'ssafety,civilianormilitary.’‘Butregretfully,itisonlyashortvisitforhimasheleaveshereonSunday,tocatchtheplanetoVancouverwherehehasanothershowing.’‘ManyoftheBallintubberplayerswillknowintheirheartsthattheydidnotgrasptheopportunityonthedayandregretfullyexperiencehasshownthatsuchoccasionsasIntermediateFinalsarerareenough.’‘Wehadquiteausefulmeetingbutregretfullyatthatstagethedamagehadbeendone.’UsageTheadjectivesregretfulandregrettablearedistinctinmeaning:regretfulmeans‘feelingorshowingregret’,asinsheshookherheadwitharegretfulsmile,whileregrettablemeans‘givingrisetoregret;undesirable’,asinthelossofjobsisregrettable.Theadverbsregretfullyandregrettablyhavenot,however,preservedthesamedistinction.Regretfullyisusedasanormaladverbtomean‘inaregretfulmanner’(hesighedregretfully),butitisalsousedasasentenceadverbmeaning‘itisregrettablethat’(regretfully,mountingcostsforcedthebranchtoclose).Inthislatteruseitissynonymouswithregrettably.ThisisdislikedbytraditionalistsandshouldbeavoidedinformalcontextsWordofthedaytippet/ˈtɪpɪt/nounSeedefinitions&examplesIt'shere!Lexico'sfirstWordoftheYear!DoesEnglishHaveMoreWordsThanAnyOtherLanguage?TrendingWordsMostpopularintheworldcafardcallipygouspotatopatchtaxonomistphubbingAreYouLearningEnglish?HereAreOurTopEnglishTipsBasicGuidelinesForEnglishSpellingsREADTHESEARTICLESHereAreTheTopEnglishWritingTipsREADTHESEARTICLESTheBestArticlesToImproveYourEnglishLanguageUsageREADTHESEARTICLESFunEnglishWordListsToExploreREADTHESEARTICLESTheMostCommonEnglishLanguageQuestionsREADTHESEARTICLESFeedback