Repent
/rɪˈpɛnt/noun
To feel remorse or regret for a past action and wish it had been different.
Did you know?Its deepest Latin ancestor, *paenitere*, is tied to remorse and dissatisfaction, so the word carries the eerie idea of your soul turning back on itself.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
paenitere
“to cause regret, to make sorry; to feel remorse”
Late Latin
Latin
repentire
“to feel regret again, to be sorry”
Old French
Old French
repentir
“to regret, to be remorseful”
Middle English
English
repenten
“to feel remorse, to be contrite”
Modern English
English
repent
“to feel remorse or regret for a past action”
Explore more surprising origins