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Alas vs Regretfully - What's the difference?

alas | regretfully |

Regretfully is a synonym of alas.



As an interjection alas

is used to express sorrow, regret, compassion or grief.

As a noun alas

is a type of {{l/en|depression}} which occurs in {{l/en|Yakutia}}, formed by the {{l/en|subsidence}} of {{l/en|permafrost}.

As an adverb regretfully is

in a regretful manner, with regret.

alas

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) a las (French .

Interjection

(en interjection)
  • Used to express sorrow, regret, compassion or grief.
  • * Act 5, Scene 1
    • Alas , Poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio: a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy: he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! my gorge rims at it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft. Where be your gibes now? your gambols? your songs? your flashes of merriment, that were wont to set the table on a roar? Not one now, to mock your own grinning? quite chap-fallen? Now get you to my lady's chamber, and tell her, let her paint an inch thick, to this favour she must come; make her laugh at that.
    Synonyms
    * alack
    Derived terms
    * alack and alas

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) .

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • a type of

    • Anagrams

    * ----

    regretfully

    English

    Adverb

    (en adverb)
  • In a regretful manner, with regret.
  • (proscribed) Unfortunately, in a manner inspiring or deserving regret; used only as a (sentence adverb) (to introduce and modify an entire sentence).

    • Usage notes

    In careful usage, regretfully means with'' regret (in a manner expressed with regret, expressing remorse), while regrettably means ''deserving'' regret (sadly, unfortunately), and in the body of sentences this distinction is observed: regrettably/regretfully], Paul Brians, Common Errors in English Usage ''John regretfully asked for forgiveness,'' not ''*John regrettably asked for forgiveness,'' and ''The weather was regrettably terrible,'' not ''*The weather was regretfully terrible.'' These terms are occasionally conflated, a practice noted and decried since Fowler 1926 (in the forms regretful and regrettable).''Merriam-Webster's dictionary of English usage, 1994, ISBN 978-0-87779132-4, [http://books.google.com/books?id=2yJusP0vrdgC&pg=PA808&q=regretfully%20regrettably p. 808 However, in use as a (sentence adverb), these are sometimes used interchangeably to mean “unfortunately”, a practice noted since the 1960s in the United States, as in: Regrettably, it is raining'' or ''Regretfully, it is raining,'' the latter being proscribed by some. This is similar to and possibly influenced by the use of hopefully, which predates this usage of regretfully''', and is both far more popular than '''regretfully and has no precise equivalent, *''hopeably not existing.

    Synonyms

    * (in a regretful manner) (l), (l) * (unfortunately) (l), (l), (l), (l), (l)

    Related terms

    * *

    References