rueful
/ˈɹuːfl̩/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.17 in modern English
9
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
adj
Causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow, especially in a wry or humorous way.
adj
Inspiring pity or compassion.
adj
Bad; woeful; deplorable.
Example Sentences
- ""I like the young, andro look, but I've dated across the board—butches, femmes, trannies—and that really bothers Clara. All her girlfriends in the past have been pretty much straight." Kim offers a rueful little laugh."
- "Merely, he received it with the rueful indulgence that he would show towards Tom when he came through with one of his solutions for ending world poverty or the arms race."
- "The first who made the experiment was a merry-andrew, who was put into my hands by a neighbouring justice of peace, in order to reclaim him from that profligate kind of life. Poor Pickle-herring had not taken above one turn in it, when he came out of the cave, like a hermit from his cell, with a penitential look and a most rueful countenance."
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Germanic *hrewwaną Proto-West Germanic *hreuwan Proto-Indo-European *-h₂ Proto-Indo-European *-éh₂ Proto-Germanic *-ō Proto-West Germanic *-u Proto-West Germanic *hreuwu Old English hrēow Middle English rewe Proto-Indo-European *pleh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-nós Proto-Indo-European *pl̥h₁nós Proto-Germanic *fullaz Proto-Germanic *-fullaz Old English -ful Middle English -ful Middle English reuful English rueful From Middle English ruful, rewful. By surface analysis, rue + -ful.