Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
- adv. In a rueful manner; causing, feeling, or expressing regret or sorrow.
from The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- In a rueful manner.
- Pitiably; lamentably; deplorably.
- Sorrowfully; mournfully; lugubriously.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- adv. in a rueful manner
Etymologies
Examples
-
In the revised edition (1992) of his book Marriage, Divorce, Remarriage, the sociologist Andrew Cherlin ruefully comments: If there were a truth-in-labeling law for books, the title of this edition should be something long and unwieldy like Cohabitation, Marriage, Divorce, More
-
Then, turning to ride back into Oakland, a thought came to him that made him grin ruefully as he muttered: And now it's up to me to make good and buy that blamed quarry.
-
He reiterated, as well, his devotion to non-violent principles, recalling ruefully that when Tibetans briefly resorted to political force in an uprising in the 1950s the result was "more suppression, more control, more rigidity" – and a half-million dead.
-
These are the moments at which he recalls ruefully that the great merit of such and such a small case, the merit for his particular advised use, had been precisely in the smallness.
-
Better to hide out in the bathroom, she recalled ruefully, than risk the public humiliation of eating solo.
-
"I'm just hungry to sit on your knee a little while; but," ruefully, "I s'pose you haven't time."
-
And Jerry Wexler, who was 90 years old, and I was able to interview him for the story, told me that he was actually laying down this track in the studio when Otis Redding came by and kind of ruefully, you know, said, this little girl stole my record, as if he knew upon hearing that initial recording that it was going to do some really great things on the radio and in people's lives.
-
I suppose my hair is carroty, "ruefully," but I think it is rather mean to tease me about a thing I can't help. "
-
"Yes, once or twice lately to rest Kid, and," ruefully, "the result was not one that fills me with any confidence in him for a really important event like this.
-
"It must have been a penalty," Ferguson said, ruefully.
Sir Alex Ferguson begins mind games with Chelsea after Arsenal defeat
agustinolvera commented on the word ruefully
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer pg. 240
"He admitted ruefully that the helmet was a good idea."
December 2, 2010