ruing
ruing — verb
- ruingpresent simple I / you / we / they
- ruings3rd person singular
- ruinging-ing form
- ruingedpast simple
1. to be filled with regret over something you did, said, or chose, especially once
to be filled with regret over something you did, said, or chose, especially once the negative result becomes clear
Apinya rued her hasty reply the moment she pressed send.
rue + noun phrase for regretting an action
The mayor is now ruing the decision to cut the hospital budget.
ruing + noun phrase — present participle form
Leo rued the lost weekend spent arguing instead of relaxing.
Years later, Saira still rued the chance she had let slip away.
The fisherman rued not checking the weather before heading out to sea.
- celebrate
ruing implies a negative assessment; celebrating implies pride or joy about an action
文法句型
rue + noun phrase
rue + verb-ing
用法筆記
Frequently used in narrative or reflective contexts rather than everyday conversation. Often appears with a direct object that names a decision, action, or missed opportunity.
常見錯誤
ruing — noun
1. a sad, regretful feeling that comes from knowing you did something wrong or miss
a sad, regretful feeling that comes from knowing you did something wrong or missed something good
Rania felt a deep rue whenever she passed the old house she had sold.
countable? 'a deep rue' — literary use of rue as a countable feeling
There was rue in his voice as he talked about the career he never pursued.
The letter was full of rue over friendships lost to pride and silence.
Constanza looked at the old photo with a quiet rue nobody else could see.
- satisfaction
rue arises from dissatisfaction with a past choice
用法筆記
Almost exclusively used in literary or formal writing. In modern everyday English, 'regret' or 'remorse' are far more common for this meaning.
2. a strong-smelling grey-green plant with bitter-tasting leaves, native to souther
a strong-smelling grey-green plant with bitter-tasting leaves, native to southern Europe and sometimes used in traditional medicine or as a flavouring, though its sap can irritate the skin
Rue grows wild along the dry hillsides of southern Europe.
The gardener warned the children that rue sap irritates the skin.
collocation: 'touch the rue' — rue as a plant
Tamás added a single rue leaf to the wine for a bitter, herbal note.
In traditional remedies, rue was brewed into a tea to ease stomach pain.
- common rue
the full common name for Ruta graveolens
- herb of grace
an old literary name for the plant
用法筆記
This plant sense is etymologically unrelated to the verb 'rue' — it comes from Latin 'ruta'. Though spelled identically, the two words are homographs.