repenting

Verb

repent (third-person singular simple present repents, present participle repenting, simple past and past participle repented)

1. (intransitive) To feel pain, sorrow, or regret for what one has done or omitted to do; the cause for repenting may be indicated with "of".
   • Marry in haste, repent at leisure.
2. (intransitive) To be sorry for sin as morally evil, and to seek forgiveness; to cease to practice sin and to love.
   • ... Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Mark 1:14–15
3. (transitive) To feel pain on account of; to remember with sorrow.
   • If Aljunied decides to go that way (to vote for the Workers' Party), well Aljunied has five years to live and repent.2011 April 30, Lee Kuan Yew, as quoted, “Aljunied voters will regret choosing WP: MM Lee”, in Yahoo News, archived from the original on 30 Apr 2025
4. (transitive) To be sorry for, to regret.
   • I repent my sins.
5. (archaic, transitive) To cause to have sorrow or regret.
   • at that time she wolde nat, she seyde, for she was syke and myght nat ryde. "That me repentith," seyde the kynge[…].1470–1485 (date produced), Thomas Malory, “(please specify the chapter)”, in [Le Morte Darthur], book VII, [London: […] by William Caxton], published 31 July 1485, →OCLC; republished as H[einrich]...
6. (obsolete, reflexive) To cause (oneself) to feel pain or regret.
   • But if that I knewe what his name hight,
     For clatering of me I would him ſone quight;
     For his falſe lying, of that I ſpake never,
     I could make him ſhortly repent him forever: […]c. 1515–1516, published 1568, John Skelton, Againſt venemous tongues enpoyſoned with ſclaunder and falſe detractions &c.

See all 8 meanings of repent