express regret

Meaning

To say or show that you are sorry, sad, or disappointed about something that happened. This is a formal way to apologize or state that you wish a situation had been different. It is common in professional correspondence, official statements, and polite social contexts.

Examples

• The company issued a statement to express regret for the delivery delays.

  The company issued a statement to express regret for the delivery delays.

• He wrote a letter to express regret over his behavior at the dinner party.

  He wrote a letter to express regret over his behavior at the dinner party.

• She wanted to express regret that she couldn't attend our wedding.

  She wanted to express regret that she couldn't attend our wedding.

• The minister expressed deep regret for the tragic accident.

  The minister expressed deep regret for the tragic accident.

• I must express my regret for any inconvenience this decision has caused.

  I must express my regret for any inconvenience this decision has caused.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ He expressed regret to his mistakes.

  ✓ He expressed regret for his mistakes.

  Use the preposition 'for' or 'over' to indicate what you are sorry about, not 'to'.

• ✗ I want to express regret about I missed your call.

  ✓ I want to express regret for missing your call.

  Follow 'express regret' with a noun phrase (e.g., 'for missing') or a 'that' clause (e.g., 'that I missed') rather than an ungrammatical prepositional clause.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The board members met with the public to ________ for the project's failure.

  💡 Formally apologize or show sadness

  Show answer

  express regret

• Please accept this email to ________ that I cannot join the conference next week.

  💡 Formally state that you are sorry

  Show answer

  express regret