Everyone feels regret sometimes. It can happen when we make a mistake or wish we had done something differently. Instead of just saying “I feel bad,” people often use special phrases called idioms to talk about these feelings. Idioms are expressions that don’t mean exactly what the words say, but they help us understand a feeling or idea better.
This article will show you different idioms people use to talk about regret. These idioms make stories and conversations more interesting. They also help you explain your feelings in a clear and colorful way. By learning these, you can speak and write in a way that helps others know just how you feel when something doesn’t go as planned.
Idioms for Regret
1. Cry over spilled milk
Meaning: Feeling sad about something that has already happened and can’t be changed.
Samples: There’s no use crying over spilled milk if you missed the bus. / She cried over spilled milk after losing her favorite toy.
To Put it Another Way: It already happened, so feeling bad won’t help. / It’s too late to fix, but I still feel sorry.
2. Bite the bullet
Meaning: To accept something hard or painful that you cannot avoid.
Samples: He bit the bullet and told the truth, even though he was scared. / I had to bite the bullet and apologize.
To Put it Another Way: I faced the hard part. / I did something I didn’t want to but had to.
3. Eat your words
Meaning: To take back something you said after being proven wrong.
Samples: He had to eat his words after saying the game was easy. / She laughed but later ate her words when the test was hard.
To Put it Another Way: I was wrong and had to admit it. / I took back what I said.
4. Kick yourself
Meaning: To feel bad about a mistake you made.
Samples: I forgot my homework and kicked myself all day. / She kicked herself for not studying.
To Put it Another Way: I felt sorry for what I did. / I wish I could go back and fix it.
5. Miss the boat
Meaning: To miss a chance or opportunity.
Samples: He missed the boat when he didn’t sign up for the trip. / I missed the boat by not joining the club.
To Put it Another Way: I waited too long. / I lost my chance.
6. Live to regret it
Meaning: To feel bad about something later.
Samples: He lied and lived to regret it. / I didn’t practice and lived to regret it during the game.
To Put it Another Way: I made a choice I later felt bad about. / I regretted it after.
7. Open a can of worms
Meaning: To start something that brings more trouble.
Samples: Asking that question opened a can of worms. / She opened a can of worms by bringing up the old problem.
To Put it Another Way: I started something messy. / That brought more problems than I expected.
8. Let the cat out of the bag
Meaning: To accidentally tell a secret.
Samples: He let the cat out of the bag about the surprise party. / I let the cat out of the bag and ruined the plan.
To Put it Another Way: I told something I shouldn’t have. / The secret got out.
9. Put your foot in your mouth
Meaning: To say something wrong or embarrassing.
Samples: I put my foot in my mouth when I made a joke that hurt her. / He put his foot in his mouth during the speech.
To Put it Another Way: I said something I shouldn’t have. / It was a mistake to say that.
10. The damage is done
Meaning: Something bad has already happened and can’t be changed.
Samples: He apologized, but the damage was done. / The broken vase showed the damage was done.
To Put it Another Way: It’s too late to fix. / The harm is already there.
11. Hang your head
Meaning: To feel ashamed or embarrassed.
Samples: He hung his head after cheating on the test. / She hung her head when caught lying.
To Put it Another Way: I felt too ashamed to look up. / I knew I had done wrong.
12. Wishing you could turn back time
Meaning: Hoping to undo a mistake from the past.
Samples: I wish I could turn back time and choose better words. / He wished he could turn back time and study.
To Put it Another Way: I want to go back and do it differently. / I regret what I did.
13. Pay the price
Meaning: To face a bad result because of something you did.
Samples: I didn’t listen and paid the price with a bad grade. / He paid the price for breaking the rule.
To Put it Another Way: I got what I deserved. / My mistake had consequences.
14. Beat yourself up
Meaning: To be very hard on yourself for a mistake.
Samples: She beat herself up for forgetting her speech. / I keep beating myself up about missing the shot.
To Put it Another Way: I can’t stop feeling bad. / I keep blaming myself.
15. A bitter pill to swallow
Meaning: Something unpleasant that you must accept.
Samples: Losing the game was a bitter pill to swallow. / Not making the team was a bitter pill to swallow.
To Put it Another Way: It hurt to accept. / I didn’t want to believe it.
16. Learn the hard way
Meaning: To understand something by making a mistake.
Samples: I learned the hard way not to skip practice. / He learned the hard way that lying gets you in trouble.
To Put it Another Way: I made a mistake and got taught by it. / I figured it out after doing it wrong.
17. A slap in the face
Meaning: Something that feels like an insult or strong regret.
Samples: Not being invited was a slap in the face. / It felt like a slap in the face when she ignored me.
To Put it Another Way: It really hurt. / I felt disrespected.
18. A sinking feeling
Meaning: A sudden feeling that something is wrong.
Samples: I got a sinking feeling when I saw the bad grade. / She had a sinking feeling after leaving her phone.
To Put it Another Way: I knew I did something wrong. / I felt something bad was about to happen.
19. Lost in thought
Meaning: Thinking deeply about something, often with regret.
Samples: He sat quietly, lost in thought about the fight. / I was lost in thought remembering my mistake.
To Put it Another Way: I was deep in my mind. / I kept thinking about what I did.
20. Dwell on the past
Meaning: To keep thinking about old mistakes.
Samples: I try not to dwell on the past, but it’s hard. / He keeps dwelling on the past and feeling bad.
To Put it Another Way: I can’t stop thinking about what happened. / I keep going over it again and again.
21. A knot in your stomach
Meaning: Feeling nervous or bad about something.
Samples: I had a knot in my stomach after I yelled. / She had a knot in her stomach before saying sorry.
To Put it Another Way: I felt sick from worry. / I was really nervous and sad.
22. Digging your own grave
Meaning: Making things worse for yourself.
Samples: By lying again, he was digging his own grave. / I was digging my own grave by not telling the truth.
To Put it Another Way: I made it worse with my actions. / I caused more problems.
23. Put the past behind you
Meaning: To stop thinking about something you regret.
Samples: She decided to put the past behind her and move on. / I want to put the past behind me and feel better.
To Put it Another Way: I’m trying to forget it. / I want a fresh start.
24. Regret it in the morning
Meaning: To do something you’ll feel sorry about later.
Samples: I stayed up late and regretted it in the morning. / He ate too much candy and regretted it in the morning.
To Put it Another Way: I felt bad after doing it. / I wish I had made a better choice.
25. Take it to heart
Meaning: To feel deeply affected or hurt by something.
Samples: He took the comment to heart and felt bad. / I took the mistake to heart and stayed quiet.
To Put it Another Way: I felt really hurt. / It stayed with me.
26. Come back to haunt you
Meaning: Something from the past that causes trouble later.
Samples: His lie came back to haunt him. / Not studying came back to haunt her on the test.
To Put it Another Way: My past actions caused problems now. / What I did before still hurts me.
27. Not thinking things through
Meaning: Acting too quickly and then regretting it.
Samples: I didn’t think things through and broke the toy. / She didn’t think it through before yelling.
To Put it Another Way: I acted too fast. / I made a choice without planning.
28. Should have known better
Meaning: Feeling regret because you knew it was wrong.
Samples: I should have known better than to lie. / He should have known better than to skip school.
To Put it Another Way: I made a mistake I knew not to make. / I ignored what I already knew.
29. Overstep the line
Meaning: To do something wrong or go too far.
Samples: He overstepped the line by shouting at the teacher. / I overstepped the line with my mean joke.
To Put it Another Way: I went too far. / I crossed the limit.
30. Look back with regret
Meaning: To think about something in the past and feel bad.
Samples: I look back with regret at what I said. / She looks back with regret about how she treated her friend.
To Put it Another Way: I wish I had done it differently. / I feel sorry when I remember.
Find the Topics: Idioms for Regret
Activity: “The Secret Note”
Last week, Mia found a shiny envelope in her locker. It wasn’t hers, but she opened it without thinking things through. Inside was a note from her friend Katie to their teacher, thanking her for helping with a personal problem. Mia felt a knot in her stomach right away. She knew she should have known better.
That afternoon, Katie looked upset. Mia tried to act normal, but her sinking feeling got worse. She thought about saying something, but instead, she let the cat out of the bag in front of their friends. Katie turned red and walked away.
Mia spent the evening lost in thought, kicking herself for what she had done. She wished she could turn back time and undo it all. She knew she had crossed the line and would live to regret it.
The next day, Mia hung her head and gave Katie a note of her own. “I’m sorry,” she wrote. “I didn’t think, and I hurt you. I’ll try to put the past behind me and be a better friend.”
Your Task:
Can you find and list all 8 idioms for regret used in the passage?
Answer Key
- Not thinking things through
- A knot in her stomach
- Should have known better
- A sinking feeling
- Let the cat out of the bag
- Lost in thought
- Kick yourself
- Turn back time
Conclusion
Regret is a feeling we all experience. It teaches us lessons and helps us grow. Idioms like “kick yourself” or “should have known better” let us share these feelings in simple, clear ways.
By using these idioms, we can talk about our mistakes without needing long explanations. They help us speak from the heart and show what we’ve learned. Next time you feel sorry about something, try using one of these phrases to express yourself.
