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noun

die Reue, null

regret

Ein starkes trauriges Gefühl, weil man etwas Falsches getan oder gesagt hat und es gern rückgängig machen würde.

Definition & meaning

Reue means remorse, contrition, or deep regret about something wrong one has done. It usually includes a moral feeling of guilt and the wish that the action had not happened.

It is stronger and more morally focused than ordinary regret. For example, someone may feel Reue after hurting another person, lying, or committing an offense.

  • Er zeigte große Reue. — “He showed great remorse.”
  • Sie empfindet Reue über ihre Worte. — “She feels remorse about her words.”

Reue is normally an abstract, uncountable noun and is rarely used in the plural.

Grammar & Word origin

  • Gender: feminine
  • Article: die
  • Plural: usually not used; the form Reuen is rare
  • Related verb: bereuen — “to regret” or “to repent”

The word is historically related to the verb reuen , meaning “to cause regret” or “to grieve.” It is not normally analyzed as a combination of separate modern German word parts.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms

  • Bedauern — regret or sorrow about something; it is more general and does not necessarily involve moral guilt.
  • Gewissensbisse — “pangs of conscience”; this emphasizes painful feelings of guilt and is often more emotionally intense.
  • Schuldgefühl — feeling of guilt; this focuses on the sense of being responsible, whereas Reue also implies regretting the action.
  • Buße — repentance or penance; this often has a religious or formal meaning and may involve making amends.

Antonyms

There is no single exact antonym. Depending on the context, possible opposites include:

  • Gleichgültigkeit — indifference, especially a lack of concern about having done something wrong.
  • Stolz — pride in one’s action, when it is the opposite of regretting it.
  • Unbelehrbarkeit — unwillingness to learn from one’s mistakes or change one’s behavior.

Common phrases & collocations

  • tiefe Reue — deep remorse
  • große Reue — great remorse
  • Reue empfinden — to feel remorse
  • Reue zeigen — to show remorse
  • etwas aus Reue tun — to do something out of remorse
  • keine Reue zeigen — to show no remorse
  • ohne Reue — without remorse or regret

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Examples

Ohne Reue lebt es sich leichter.noun

Without regret, life is easier.

Reue ist ein Gefühl, das nach einer falschen Entscheidung aufkommen kann.noun

Regret is a feeling that can arise after a wrong decision.

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