Rue

Part of speech: verb, noun

Pronunciation: /ɹuː/

Definitions

1. To feel sadness or regret about something done or experienced ; a green, bitter herb used traditionally for medicinal and culinary purposes
2. To express remorse or repentance for an action or event ; a plant known for its strong aroma and potential healing uses
3. To be sorry or repentful for a past deed or misfortune ; a shrubby herb with distinctive leaves often associated with folk remedies

Etymology: The verb "rue" comes from Old English "hreowan" (and its variants "reowen" and "ruwen"), meaning to feel pity or grief, and it survives in German "reuen" and Dutch "rouwen," which still carry the sense of regret and mourning. Its older roots are debated. Some scholars link it to a Proto-Germanic verb that also lies behind the Russian "krušítʹ," meaning "to destroy, to shatter," with the same movement from physical breaking to inner distress. The idea is that a heart broken by grief is a kind of shattering, though this connection is not certain. The same word has a second, unrelated life. The plant "rue," a bitter, strongly scented herb, comes from a different source and reached English by a separate route. Gardeners and herbalists have kept the two apart for centuries, but the spelling has merged them in everyday use.

Synonyms: regret, lament, repent

Antonyms: celebrate, rejoice