rueful
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.
"In one day," he says, with a rueful smile.
From BBC • Feb. 3, 2026
“It was,” Duffy said with a rueful laugh.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025
It’s one of many smart, rueful asides in what amounts to a nonjudgmental cinematic essay on the increasingly atomized nature of contemporary living.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 20, 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
“I’d just as soon you did,” he said with a rueful smile.
From "Murder on the Orient Express" by Agatha Christie
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Vocabulary lists containing rueful
List 1
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Tuck Everlasting
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"The Odyssey" by Homer, Books 8–13
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