RUEFUL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does rueful mean? 

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

1. feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses

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

 Dictionary entry details 

• RUEFUL (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses

Synonyms:

contrite; remorseful; rueful; ruthful

Similar:

penitent; repentant (feeling or expressing remorse for misdeeds)

Derivation:

ruefulness (sadness associated with some wrong done or some disappointment)

 Context examples 

Our client looked down with a rueful face at his own unconventional appearance.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Jackson suddenly made a wild dash into the crowd, but returned with empty hands and a rueful face.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

"Not just yet," said I, with a rueful smile.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Again the rueful expression came on her face, and again I smiled in a superior way.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

He could not deny the justice of my request, so with a rather rueful face he went off to his bedroom, from which he returned presently pulling a large tin box behind him.

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

They had not gone far before they saw a cat sitting in the middle of the road and making a most rueful face.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

Sherlock Holmes and I surveyed this curt announcement and the rueful face behind it, until the comical side of the affair so completely overtopped every other consideration that we both burst out into a roar of laughter.

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

Then she assumed a rueful expression.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)