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rueful

[roo-fuhl] / ˈru fəl /


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.

"I might have won the World Championship two years earlier than I did," said a rueful Higgins, who admitted that was one of his most painful losses in his 34-year professional career.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

"In one day," he says, with a rueful smile.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026

Good actors “act the way people used to act,” he says with a rueful nostalgia at odds with his youth.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 30, 2025

“Thank God it could never happen here,” Johnson says with a rueful laugh.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025

“No, I — I left,” Ash said, sounding rueful.

From "Ash" by Malinda Lo




Vocabulary lists containing rueful