Definitions

1. adjective

feeling or expressing regret or sorrow, especially for something that has happened

“She felt a rueful smile spreading across her face as she remembered her mistake.”

2. adjective

reluctantly accepting or resigned to a situation

“He had a rueful expression on his face as he looked at the stack of unpaid bills.”

3. noun

a feeling of regret or sorrow

“She felt a pang of rueful nostalgia for her childhood home.”