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rueful

[roo-fuhl] / ˈru fəl /


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.

See Examples For:

"In one day," he says, with a rueful smile.

From BBC Feb. 3, 2026

“And then,” she says with a small, rueful laugh, “everything was really hard for the next 20 years.”

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 19, 2025

Good actors “act the way people used to act,” he says with a rueful nostalgia at odds with his youth.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 30, 2025

While he enjoys the craftmanship, he admits with a rueful smile that he has still not learned to play the piano himself.

From BBC Aug. 25, 2025

It had been supplanted by a rueful sympathy and something not unlike affection.

From "Into the Wild" by Jon Krakauer




Vocabulary lists containing rueful


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