rueful
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.
"In one day," he says, with a rueful smile.
From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026
“It was,” Duffy said with a rueful laugh.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025
The remark carries a delicate wisp of rueful irony.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 2, 2025
“Thank God it could never happen here,” Johnson says with a rueful laugh.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 30, 2025
They hated to see Lily go, but they were happy she was going off to college—though they’d never heard of Spelman, Lily added with a rueful smile on her face.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
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Vocabulary lists containing rueful
List 1
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Tuck Everlasting
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 8–13
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