Repenting

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Feeling genuine remorse or sorrow for previous mistakes or wrongdoings
2. Experiencing regret and a wish to make amends for something done wrong
3. Undergoing heartfelt contrition and desiring to improve after causing harm or error

Etymology: "Repenting" is the present participle of "repent," and the verb's roots run through Latin and French before reaching English. Its Classical Latin ancestor was "paenitēre," meaning to cause regret or to be sorry, and in Late Latin it became "paenitīre." That form passed into Vulgar Latin as "repaenitīre," which in turn gave Old French "repentir." Middle English borrowed that French verb as "repenten," so the English word carries the sense of regret that the Latin already had. A separate, older root is worth knowing, though it is easy to confuse with the regret sense. The Latin "rēpēns" comes from "rēpō," meaning "to creep." Scholars link this to the image of something creeping or crawling, not to sorrow, so the two words meet only by coincidence of form.

Synonyms: regretting, remorseful, contrite, penitent, ashamed

Antonyms: unrepentant, defiant, proud, arrogant, haughty