rue the day

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Verb

rue the day (third-person singular simple present rues the day, present participle ruing the day, simple past and past participle rued the day)

1. (idiomatic) To seriously regret one's actions.
   • 1987, Bruce Robinson, Withnail and I:

     I: I think there may be something living in there. I think there may be something alive.
     Withnail: What d'you mean? A rat?
     I: It's possible. It's possible.
     Withnail: Then the fucker will rue the day!

   • 2009, Erica James, It's The Little Things:

     As far as they were concerned, he must be ruing the day he ever met Sally.

   • 2017, Lorde (lyrics and music), “Writer in the Dark”, in Melodrama:

     Bet you rue the day you kissed a writer in the dark

See also

• live to regret