repine

English

Etymology

Believed to have been formed (with uncertainty, due to the unusual formation) as re- +‎ pine, with the verb (first attested in 1529) giving rise to the noun (first attested in 1593); compare the Middle English verb repinen, which may be related.

Pronunciation

• (RP) enPR: rĭpīnʹ, IPA: /ɹɪˈpaɪn/, SAMPA: /r\I"paIn/
• (UK) enPR: rĭpīnʹ, IPA: /ɹᵻˈpʌɪn/, SAMPA: /r\I\"pVIn/
• (US) enPR: rĭpīnʹ, IPA: /ɹɪˈpaɪn/

Verb

repine (third-person singular simple present repines, present participle repining, simple past and past participle repined)

1. (intransitive, now literary) To regret; to complain. [15ᵗʰ C.–present]
   • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II.3.6:

     But many times we complain, repine, and mutter without a cause, we give way to passions we may resist and will not.

   • 1958, John W. Peterson, Night of Miracles:

     no more need men on earth repine

   • 1988, Anthony Burgess, Any Old Iron:

     Beatrix invited me no more to tea but I did not greatly repine.

Alternative forms

• repyne [16ᵗʰ C.]

Translations

to regret

Portuguese: lamentar (pt)-se, reclamar (pt)

References

• “†reˈpine, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2ⁿᵈ ed., 1989]
• “repine, v.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [2ⁿᵈ ed., 1989]
• “repine, n.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [3ʳᵈ ed., December 2009]
• “repine, v.” listed in the Oxford English Dictionary [3ʳᵈ ed., December 2009]