REPENTANT

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does repentant mean? 

• REPENTANT (adjective)
  The adjective REPENTANT has 1 sense:

1. feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds

  Familiarity information: REPENTANT used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• REPENTANT (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds

Synonyms:

penitent; repentant

Similar:

contrite; remorseful; rueful; ruthful (feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses)

penitential; penitentiary (showing or constituting penance)

Also:

ashamed (feeling shame or guilt or embarrassment or remorse)

bad; regretful; sorry (feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone)

Antonym:

unrepentant (not penitent or remorseful)

Derivation:

repent (feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about)

repent (turn away from sin or do penitence)

repentance (remorse for your past conduct)

 Context examples 

"Then may God receive you, a repentant sinner," she said.

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

She ran to him and held him close, crying, with repentant tears, Oh, John, my dear, kind, hard-working boy.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

As we left the house Lestrade remained in the front room, while the repentant constable opened the door to let us out.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Accordingly, a few months after your departure for Ingolstadt, Justine was called home by her repentant mother.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

Again Mr. Rochester propounded his query: Is the wandering and sinful, but now rest-seeking and repentant, man justified in daring the world's opinion, in order to attach to him for ever this gentle, gracious, genial stranger, thereby securing his own peace of mind and regeneration of life?

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

"Ay," he answered, his deep voice as a response to her thin one, "may God receive me, a repentant sinner."

(Love of Life and Other Stories, by Jack London)

"What a good girl you are, Amy!" said Jo, with a repentant glance from her own damaged costume to that of her sister, which was fresh and spotless still.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

With a half-repentant, half-amused expression, Laurie gathered up all Jo's letters, smoothed, folded, and put them neatly into a small drawer of the desk, stood a minute turning the ring thoughtfully on his finger, then slowly drew it off, laid it with the letters, locked the drawer, and went out to hear High Mass at Saint Stefan's, feeling as if there had been a funeral, and though not overwhelmed with affliction, this seemed a more proper way to spend the rest of the day than in writing letters to charming young ladies.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)