Etymology : Middle English, from Old French repentir, from re- + pentir to be sorry, from Latin paenitEre; more at PENITENT
Pronunciation : ri-'pent
Function : verb
Date : 14th century
1. regret one's past actions, rue past events, feel sorrow about past occurrences. repent\re"pent\ (r?"p?nt), a. [l. repens, -entis, creeping, p. pr. of repere to creep.].
2. (bot.) prostrate and rooting; -- said of stems.
3. (zo?l.) same as reptant.repent \re*pent"\ (r?-p?nt"), v. i. [imp. & p. p. repented; p. pr. & vb. n. repenting.] [f. se repentir; l. pref. re- re- + poenitere to make repent, poenitet me it repents me, i repent. see:
penitent.].
4. to feel pain, sorrow, or regret, for what one has done or omitted to do. first she relents with pity; of that pity then repents.
5. to change the mind, or the course of conduct, on account of regret or dissatisfaction. lest, peradventure, the people repent when they see:
war, and they return to egypt. xiii.
6. 3. (theol.) to be sorry for sin as morally evil, and to seek forgiveness; to cease to love and practice sin. except ye repent, ye shall likewise perish. 3.repent \re*pent"\, v. t.
7. to feel pain on account of; to remember with sorrow. i do repent it from my very soul.
8. to feel regret or sorrow; -- used reflexively. my father has repented him ere now.
9. to cause to have sorrow or regret; -- used impersonally. [archaic] "and it repented the lord that he had made man on the earth." vi. 6.repent v.
10. turn away from sin or do penitence [syn: atone].
11. feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about [syn: regret, rue].
12. Prostrate and rooting; said of stems.
13. Same as Reptant.
14. To feel pain, sorrow, or regret, for what one has done or omitted to do.
15. To change the mind, or the course of conduct, on account of regret or dissatisfaction.
16. To be sorry for sin as morally evil, and to seek forgiveness; to cease to love and practice sin.
17. To feel pain on account of; to remember with sorrow.
18. To feel regret or sorrow; used reflexively.
19. To cause to have sorrow or regret; used impersonally. feel remorse for; feel sorry for; be contrite about turn away from sin or do penitence.
20. If you repent, you show or say that you are sorry for something wrong you have done. Those who refuse to repent, he said, will be punished Did he repent of anything in his life?. to be sorry for something and wish you had not done it - used especially when considering your actions in a religious way repent of (repentir, from pentir ).