ruefully
Americanadverb
-
in a mournful or doleful way.
I found myself sitting ruefully by the side of the road, near a little town in North Carolina, waiting for a tow truck.
-
in a way that suggests repentance or regret.
He is aware of his own flaws, at times ruefully so.
Other Word Forms
- half-ruefully adverb
- unruefully adverb
Etymology
Origin of ruefully
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"The way things are going, I'm going to have to find a job just to feed her," he said ruefully, handing Mary Lou the last of his allowance.
From Literature
“A lot of people are assuming that this is a large company where they can get customer support,” he said ruefully.
"Let's hope maybe next year will be a better year for me," Sabalenka said ruefully.
From Barron's
At the same time, she can’t help laughing at the irony of a deity who arranges things in such a ruefully comic way.
From Los Angeles Times
This last comment came from a fellow traveler, ruefully disclosing an act of self-defense many years ago.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
