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.
He flashes a rueful smile, "we're used to it, but it's pretty awful."
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
"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
The remark carries a delicate wisp of rueful irony.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2025
“But no one cares about poetry,” Mal said with a rueful laugh.
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
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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