Regret is a deep emotion that many of us experience after making decisions we wish we could change. It can weigh on the heart, cloud the mind, and linger long after the event is over. While it’s a feeling we all experience, it can be difficult to express. That’s where metaphors come in. Instead of just saying we feel regret, we use metaphors to describe the depth, weight, and impact it has on us.
In this article, we’ll explore 40 metaphors for regret. These metaphors will help us convey how regret feels, whether it’s something that drags us down, something we can’t escape, or something that sparks growth. Let’s take a look at the many ways we can describe the complex emotion of regret using metaphors.
Metaphors for Regret
1. A Heavy Burden
Meaning: Regret feels like a weight you carry, weighing you down.
Samples: His mistake was a heavy burden, one he could never escape. / Regret became a heavy burden on her shoulders, preventing her from moving forward.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a load that drags you down. / It’s a weight that feels unbearable.
2. A Thorn in the Side
Meaning: Regret is something small but persistent, constantly causing pain.
Samples: The missed opportunity was a thorn in his side, always reminding him of his failure. / Her regret over the decision was a thorn in her side for years.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a constant source of discomfort. / It’s a lingering reminder of something painful.
3. A Dark Cloud
Meaning: Regret clouds your thoughts and emotions, like a dark cloud in the sky.
Samples: The dark cloud of regret hung over him long after the event. / Her mind was clouded with regret, like a dark cloud blocking the sun.
To Put it Another Way: It overshadows everything. / It creates a gloomy atmosphere.
4. A Bitter Pill
Meaning: Regret is something hard to swallow, like something bitter you must endure.
Samples: The reality of his mistake was a bitter pill that he couldn’t get rid of. / Swallowing her regret was like taking a bitter pill every day.
To Put it Another Way: It’s something difficult to accept. / It’s an unpleasant reality you must face.
5. A Weight on the Heart
Meaning: Regret affects you emotionally, creating a heaviness in your chest.
Samples: His regret was a weight on his heart, making him feel emotionally drained. / The weight on her heart from the decision was unbearable.
To Put it Another Way: It’s an emotional burden. / It’s something that pulls you down emotionally.
6. A Locked Door
Meaning: Regret keeps you from moving forward, trapping you in the past.
Samples: The regret of losing his chance felt like a locked door, keeping him from finding new opportunities. / Her past mistakes were a locked door she couldn’t unlock.
To Put it Another Way: It’s something that prevents progress. / It’s a barrier that stops you from moving forward.
7. A Hole in the Soul
Meaning: Regret leaves a deep emotional emptiness, like a void within you.
Samples: His regret left a hole in his soul, something that couldn’t be filled. / Her heart felt empty, like a hole in the soul, due to her decisions.
To Put it Another Way: It’s an emotional emptiness. / It’s a painful void inside.
8. A Dead End
Meaning: Regret leads to a feeling of being stuck, unable to move forward.
Samples: His life felt like a dead end, constantly haunted by his past mistakes. / The road of regret was a dead end, with no way to go back.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a place with no way out. / It stops you from moving ahead.
9. A Shackle
Meaning: Regret holds you in place, like physical chains.
Samples: His regret was a shackle, holding him back from truly living. / She felt shackled by her past decisions, unable to break free.
To Put it Another Way: It’s something that restricts your freedom. / It keeps you trapped in the past.
10. A Wound That Won’t Heal
Meaning: Regret is something painful that doesn’t seem to go away.
Samples: The regret he felt was like a wound that wouldn’t heal, always reminding him of his mistakes. / Her past actions were a wound that wouldn’t heal, causing constant pain.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a constant emotional injury. / It’s a pain that lingers without fading.
11. A Cold Shadow
Meaning: Regret casts a cold and uncomfortable feeling over you.
Samples: The cold shadow of regret followed him everywhere he went. / A cold shadow of regret lingered over her, making her feel disconnected.
To Put it Another Way: It’s an emotion that haunts you. / It’s a persistent feeling of discomfort.
12. A Storm Brewing
Meaning: Regret builds up inside you, like a storm ready to explode.
Samples: The regret he carried was like a storm brewing, eventually turning into an emotional outburst. / Her feelings of regret were like a storm brewing, ready to burst.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a growing feeling of emotional turmoil. / It builds up, eventually spilling over.
13. A Dark Room
Meaning: Regret leaves you in a place of confusion, unable to see clearly.
Samples: His regret was like being trapped in a dark room, unable to find the light. / The choices she made left her in a dark room, unsure of how to move forward.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a place of emotional blindness. / It’s a situation that leaves you lost and confused.
14. A Distant Echo
Meaning: Regret is a feeling that lingers and echoes long after the event.
Samples: The echo of his regret followed him for years, even though the event was long past. / Her regret was like a distant echo, always haunting her memories.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a feeling that lingers far beyond its origin. / It’s an emotion that keeps coming back.
15. A Chain Around the Heart
Meaning: Regret is emotionally restraining, like a chain locking you in place.
Samples: His regret felt like a chain around his heart, preventing him from feeling free. / The chain around her heart made it difficult to open up and trust again.
To Put it Another Way: It’s an emotional restriction. / It holds you back from fully moving on.
16. A Stone in the Shoe
Meaning: Regret is something small but annoying, always getting in the way.
Samples: His regret was like a stone in the shoe, always nagging at him no matter how hard he tried to ignore it. / Her regret was a stone in the shoe, a small discomfort that never went away.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a constant but minor annoyance. / It’s a lingering, uncomfortable feeling.
17. A Frozen Heart
Meaning: Regret causes emotional coldness, making it hard to move on.
Samples: His heart felt frozen, locked in the ice of regret, unable to feel warmth again. / Her regret left her with a frozen heart, unable to embrace new opportunities.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a coldness caused by emotional pain. / It’s a heart locked away due to past actions.
18. A Bitter Aftertaste
Meaning: Regret leaves a lingering bad feeling, like an unpleasant taste in your mouth.
Samples: The decision left a bitter aftertaste, making everything feel sour. / His actions left a bitter aftertaste, ruining his otherwise happy day.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a lingering, unpleasant feeling. / It’s a sour, negative emotion that sticks with you.
19. A Cracked Mirror
Meaning: Regret distorts your self-image, making it hard to see yourself clearly.
Samples: His regret was like a cracked mirror, distorting his self-perception and confidence. / The mistake left a cracked mirror in her mind, distorting how she saw herself.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a distortion of your sense of self. / It’s a reflection of guilt and mistakes.
20. A Withered Flower
Meaning: Regret makes something that once was beautiful or full of promise fade and die.
Samples: The lost opportunity was like a withered flower, once full of life but now faded. / The relationship felt like a withered flower, no longer thriving because of past mistakes.
To Put it Another Way: It’s something that has lost its vibrancy. / It’s an emotion that makes things fade and die.
21. A Sinking Ship
Meaning: Regret makes you feel like you’re trapped in a situation with no way out, like a sinking ship.
Samples: The regret he felt was like a sinking ship, pulling him down into despair. / Her thoughts of what could have been felt like a sinking ship, drowning her hope.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a feeling that drags you down. / It’s an inescapable situation.
22. A Burning Bridge
Meaning: Regret results in a situation that can’t be undone, like burning a bridge behind you.
Samples: The decision left him with a burning bridge, unable to go back to where he was. / Her words were like a burning bridge, making reconciliation impossible.
To Put it Another Way: It’s an irreversible action. / It’s a situation that can’t be undone.
23. A Dark Tunnel
Meaning: Regret is a feeling that traps you in darkness, with no clear way out.
Samples: The regret he felt was like walking through a dark tunnel, with no light at the end. / She felt trapped in a dark tunnel of regret, unable to see the way forward.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a feeling of being lost and stuck. / It’s an emotional state with no escape.
24. A Shattered Dream
Meaning: Regret destroys or ruins something that once held hope or promise.
Samples: The lost opportunity felt like a shattered dream, never to be recovered. / His actions had turned her once-bright future into a shattered dream.
To Put it Another Way: It’s the destruction of something once precious. / It’s a lost hope that can’t be reclaimed.
25. A Prison of the Past
Meaning: Regret keeps you trapped in your past mistakes or decisions.
Samples: His regret was a prison of the past, keeping him from moving on. / The haunting memories of her choices felt like a prison of the past.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a mental trap. / It keeps you locked in old mistakes.
26. A Rusted Key
Meaning: Regret is something that once had value but now feels useless or locked away.
Samples: The decision was like a rusted key, no longer able to unlock any doors. / His regret was a rusted key, unable to open the opportunities that once lay ahead.
To Put it Another Way: It’s something that has lost its usefulness. / It’s a situation where the chance is no longer accessible.
27. A Locked Chest
Meaning: Regret traps feelings, memories, or opportunities away, as if they are locked inside.
Samples: Her heart felt like a locked chest, filled with regrets she couldn’t let out. / His mind was a locked chest, unable to let go of past mistakes.
To Put it Another Way: It’s an emotional barrier. / It’s a feeling that locks you in the past.
28. A Ticking Clock
Meaning: Regret feels like time is running out, often adding pressure to the situation.
Samples: The decision felt like a ticking clock, reminding him that he had run out of time. / Her regret was like a ticking clock, reminding her that opportunities were slipping away.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a feeling of time running out. / It creates a sense of urgency.
29. A Drowning Feeling
Meaning: Regret overwhelms you, pulling you under, much like drowning in water.
Samples: His regret was like a drowning feeling, pulling him under with every passing moment. / She couldn’t breathe for all the regret that was drowning her.
To Put it Another Way: It’s an overwhelming, suffocating emotion. / It pulls you deeper into sorrow.
30. A Broken Compass
Meaning: Regret causes confusion, leaving you lost and unsure of your direction.
Samples: The wrong decision felt like a broken compass, leading him in circles. / Her regret was like a broken compass, making it hard to know where to go.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a feeling of being directionless. / It’s an emotional state where you feel lost.
31. A Gaping Hole
Meaning: Regret leaves an emotional void, like a large hole inside.
Samples: His regret left a gaping hole in his chest, a constant reminder of what could have been. / The loss was like a gaping hole, filled with regret and missed opportunities.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a painful emptiness. / It’s an emotional wound that can’t be healed.
32. A Stumbling Block
Meaning: Regret prevents progress, like something in the way that stops you from moving forward.
Samples: His past mistakes were a stumbling block, keeping him from achieving his goals. / Regret became a stumbling block in her path to happiness.
To Put it Another Way: It’s something that hinders progress. / It’s an obstacle created by past decisions.
33. A Silent Scream
Meaning: Regret is something intense but hidden, silently consuming you from the inside.
Samples: His regret was a silent scream, an agony that only he could feel. / The feeling of regret inside her was like a silent scream, unheard but overwhelming.
To Put it Another Way: It’s an unspoken, intense emotion. / It’s a hidden pain that you can’t express.
34. A Tangled Web
Meaning: Regret makes things more complicated, like a web of confusion.
Samples: His actions created a tangled web of regret, each choice making the situation worse. / The situation felt like a tangled web, full of regret and confusion.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a complicated mess of emotions. / It’s a situation that becomes harder to untangle over time.
35. A Wasted Garden
Meaning: Regret feels like something beautiful that has been neglected or ruined.
Samples: His dreams felt like a wasted garden, overgrown with regret and missed chances. / The relationship with her family was like a wasted garden, once full of promise but now abandoned.
To Put it Another Way: It’s something that’s been spoiled or ruined. / It’s a lost opportunity that could have been beautiful.
36. A Shattered Vase
Meaning: Regret breaks things that once seemed beautiful, leaving them in pieces.
Samples: Their trust was like a shattered vase, broken beyond repair due to regret. / His mistake was like a shattered vase, beautiful once but now in ruins.
To Put it Another Way: It’s something that cannot be fixed. / It’s something broken beyond repair.
37. A Fallen Leaf
Meaning: Regret is something that has fallen away, like a leaf losing its place.
Samples: The moment of regret felt like a fallen leaf, drifting away from the tree of opportunity. / Her past mistakes were like fallen leaves, now gone but still visible in her mind.
To Put it Another Way: It’s something that’s been lost or left behind. / It’s a moment that’s passed but lingers in memory.
38. A Smoldering Ember
Meaning: Regret is a feeling that burns quietly but remains, like a slowly dying fire.
Samples: His regret was like a smoldering ember, still burning inside even though the flames were gone. / The smoldering ember of regret remained with her, despite the passage of time.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a lingering, quiet pain. / It’s an emotional burn that never fully goes away.
39. A Fading Echo
Meaning: Regret fades with time, but its impact is still felt, like an echo in the distance.
Samples: His regret was like a fading echo, still resonating even after years had passed. / The regret from their argument was a fading echo, echoing softly in their minds.
To Put it Another Way: It’s a lingering, faint memory. / It’s something that fades but still leaves a mark.
40. A Locked Chest of Memories
Meaning: Regret keeps memories locked away, never fully letting you forget.
Samples: His regret was like a locked chest of memories, sealed tight but still haunting him. / The mistake was a locked chest of memories, ones he couldn’t escape.
To Put it Another Way: It’s an emotional trap. / It’s something that keeps painful memories hidden but present.
Find the Topics: Metaphors for Regret
Activity: “The Weight of the Past”
As Emma looked back on her choices, she felt a heavy burden on her heart, as if regret was weighing her down. Every thought about her past mistakes felt like a thorn in her side, constantly causing discomfort. She couldn’t help but feel like her past was a locked chest, keeping her emotions sealed away. The regret was like a dark cloud, always hovering over her, making it hard to find peace. Each night, the thoughts echoed in her mind, like a distant echo, reminding her of the decisions she couldn’t change.
Her mistake felt like a gaping hole, an emptiness that couldn’t be filled, and every failed attempt to move forward was like a stumbling block. There were times when the feeling was so overwhelming, it felt like a drowning feeling, like she was submerged in her own regrets. Despite her best efforts, her heart felt like a frozen heart, locked away from new opportunities. Her regret was like a shattered dream, something that once seemed bright and full of promise, now broken and irreparable.
Your Task:
Can you underline or list all 10 metaphors for regret found in the story?
Answer Key
- A heavy burden
- A thorn in her side
- A locked chest
- A dark cloud
- A distant echo
- A gaping hole
- A stumbling block
- A drowning feeling
- A frozen heart
- A shattered dream
Conclusion
Metaphors for regret offer powerful ways to express the emotional weight of past decisions and mistakes. Whether it’s a heavy burden or a shattered dream, these expressions vividly describe the complex and often painful nature of regret. Use these metaphors to convey deep feelings or understand the emotional impact of past actions.
