regretfully

regretfully — adverb

1. showing sadness, disappointment, or apology for something that has happened or m

1.副詞B2
釋義

showing sadness, disappointment, or apology for something that has happened or must be done

例句

Sirin shook her head regretfully when she heard that the trip was cancelled.

collocation: shake one's head + regretfully

The old fisherman spoke regretfully about the years he spent away from his family.

同義詞
  • sadly

    more general and less formal; covers any cause of sadness

  • ruefully

    suggests wry amusement at one's own mistakes; more specific in meaning

  • sorrowfully

    implies deeper emotional pain; more literary and formal

文法句型

verb + regretfully

regretfully + verb

用法筆記

Typically appears directly after the main verb or after the subject — e.g., 'She regretfully agreed.' Unlike the sentence-adverb use (which opens a clause), this sense describes the manner of an action.

常見錯誤

❌Regretfully, the concert was cancelled due to rain.
✅Regrettably, the concert was cancelled due to rain.
💡'Regretfully' describes how someone acts; 'regrettably' describes an unfortunate situation.