Ruefully meaning

Ruefully is defined as something done in a manner that causes or shows sorrow, pity or regret.

If you are packing to move out of your apartment after a fight with your roommate but you regret the fight and the fact that you have to move, this is an example of a time when you might pack ruefully.

adverb
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In a rueful manner; causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow.

He smiled ruefully at me.

adverb
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Origin of ruefully

  • rueful +‎ -ly

    From Wiktionary

Ruefully Sentence Examples

  • "Only my soul," he replied ruefully.

  • "You don't hate me, and I'm dying soon," she said ruefully.

  • "I would hug you in greeting, but I.m down to one of my last sets of clothing," Kris said somewhat ruefully.

  • There follows a total contrast; a ruefully humorous yet touchingly erotic daydream, composed of a montage of apparently unrelated images.

  • Thus the Spartan power of offence was crippled; and the upshot of the long-protracted war was that Sparta ruefully returned to the Persian alliance, and by the Peace of Antalcidas, concluded with the king in 387 B.C., not only renounced all claims to the Asiatic possessions, but officially proclaimed the Persian suzerainty over Greece.

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Words near ruefully in the Dictionary