Repine

Part of speech: verb

Pronunciation: /ɹɪˈpaɪn/

Definitions

1. To engage in expressions of discontent or sorrow over unmet wishes or desires while reflecting on one's current circumstance
2. To show or feel unhappiness or complaining about what one lacks or experiences
3. To be upset or mournful due to unmet hopes or unpleasant situations

Etymology: Repine is a case where the family resemblance to a common word misleads. Its second half is plainly "pine," the verb meaning to waste away from longing or grief, which comes down from Old English "pīnian," "to torment." The prefix "re-" usually signals repetition or intensity, so a reader might expect "repine" to mean pining again or pining hard. Yet the verb is recorded from 1529, and scholars are not certain how the prefix was attached, since the combination is unusual for English. The clearest evidence for an older ancestor comes from Middle English. The Middle English Dictionary records "repinen," which meant something like "to cause trouble to someone, grieve," and it was built on "pīnen," meaning to cause pain, to torment, or to starve. Whether this earlier verb is the direct source of the modern one, or only a close relative, remains uncertain. Over time the sense settled into the sad, resentful state we now call repining: fretting over hopes that have failed or circumstances one cannot change. The noun followed the verb and appears in 1593.

Synonyms: complain, grumble

Antonyms: accept, rejoice