40 Idioms for Regret

Understanding Regret Through Idioms

Regret is a universal emotion, often sparked by actions or words we wish we could take back. To express these feelings, people frequently use idioms—phrases that have a figurative, rather than literal, meaning. This guide explores various idioms related to regret, enhancing your ability to articulate such emotions and fostering better interpersonal understanding. Grasping these idioms not only sharpens your language skills but also aids in real-world interactions.

Common Idioms Expressing Regret

1. Beat yourself up

• Meaning: To blame oneself excessively.
• Example: After messing up the presentation, Jen really beat herself up about it.
• Variants: Blame oneself / Feel guilty

2. Missed the mark

• Meaning: To fail to achieve the intended outcome.
• Example: His apology missed the mark, leaving everyone just as upset as before.
• Variants: Fell short / Didn’t hit the target

3. Kick oneself

• Meaning: To regret an action or decision.
• Example: I’ve been kicking myself for not taking that job offer last month.
• Variants: Regret deeply / Blame oneself

4. Burning bridges

• Meaning: To destroy one’s relationship or opportunities.
• Example: Quitting her job in such a rush, she really burned her bridges with her former employer.
• Variants: Sever ties / Destroy opportunities

5. Dropping the ball

• Meaning: To make a mistake, typically by forgetting or failing to do something important.
• Example: He really dropped the ball by forgetting his anniversary.
• Variants: Mess up / Slip up

6. Spill the beans

• Meaning: To reveal a secret, often prematurely or by mistake.
• Example: He accidentally spilled the beans about the surprise party.
• Variants: Reveal a secret / Let the cat out of the bag

7. Open a can of worms

• Meaning: To initiate a complex or troublesome situation.
• Example: By asking about the company’s finances, she opened a can of worms that led to serious discussions.
• Variants: Create complications / Stir trouble

8. Put your foot in your mouth

• Meaning: To say something embarrassing or inappropriate.
• Example: I really put my foot in my mouth when I made that joke at work.
• Variants: Speak carelessly / Offend unintentionally

9. A day late and a dollar short

• Meaning: Too delayed and inadequate to be of use.
• Example: His efforts to rectify the mistake were a day late and a dollar short.
• Variants: Too little too late / Insufficient effort

10. Throwing good money after bad

- **Meaning:** To waste more resources on an unprofitable or failing venture.
- **Example:** Continuing to fix that old car is just throwing good money after bad.
- **Variants:** Wasting resources / Ineffective efforts

Exercises to Practice

1. Jeremy regretted not studying and had to ___ during the test results.
2. When she realized she lost her friend’s book, Mara started to ___ about it.
3. They ___ their chances for reconciliation by arguing even more.
4. He ___ by revealing the ending of the movie to everyone.
5. Telling the team about upcoming layoffs without confirming it first was definitely ___.

Conclusion

Experiencing regret is an inevitable part of human life. Using idioms to describe these feelings allows for more natural and relatable communication. Understanding and mastering these expressions not only enriches your language abilities but also helps in navigating social and professional landscapes more effectively.