The English Oracle

Does "rueful" add a connotation of wry humor versus "rue?"

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Chapters
00:00 Does &Quot;Rueful&Quot; Add A Connotation Of Wry Humor Versus &Quot;Rue?&Quot;
00:43 Accepted Answer Score 9
01:11 Thank you

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ACCEPTED ANSWER

Score 9


All other online dictionaries do not mention the wry humorous aspect of rueful . Only vocabulary.com notes that:

The adjective rueful sincerely expresses regret, but it manages to do it with a hint of humor. Rueful shows up a lot in descriptions of remorseful grins or apologetic smiles. If you're sorry about something you've done but you can still laugh at yourself a little bit, you feel rueful. The word itself comes from the verb to rue, which means "to regret."