adjective
- expressing sorrow, regret, or disappointment in a gentle or wistful way
Examples
- She gave a rueful smile when she realized her mistake.
- He shook his head with a rueful expression after missing the shot.
- The old man looked back on his youth with rueful nostalgia.
- Her rueful laugh suggested she knew better but had acted anyway.
- The coach wore a rueful grin after the team’s narrow defeat.
- With a rueful sigh, she admitted she should have studied harder.