Definition

1. Verb:
   • To regret (with a nuance of reluctance or feeling something is a waste): To feel sorrow, disappointment, or a sense of loss over something, often because it is perceived as wasteful, unnecessary, or not worth the sacrifice. It implies a stronger, more emotional, and sometimes slightly irrational sense of regret than the more general "tiếc".

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Tôi rất tiếc rẻ vì đã bỏ lỡ cơ hội đó. (I deeply regret missing that opportunity.)
  • Anh ấy định vứt chiếc máy cũ đi nhưng lại thấy tiếc rẻ. (He intended to throw the old machine away but then felt it was a waste/regretted it.)
  • Đừng tiếc rẻ món đồ đã hỏng. (Don't regret the broken item / Don't feel it's a waste.)

Advanced Usage

• The term often carries a connotation of being frugal or sentimental, regretting the loss or waste of something even if its practical value is low. It can imply the person knows logically they shouldn't care, but emotionally they still do.

Variants and Related Words

• Tiếc (v): To regret, to feel sorry about. This is the more general and neutral term for regret.
• Tiếc nuối (v): To feel lingering regret or nostalgia, often for something in the past that cannot be changed.

Synonyms

• Regret: To feel sad, repentant, or disappointed over something.
• Bemoan: To express discontent or sorrow over (often something considered a waste).
• Rue (literary): To bitterly regret.

Related Idioms

• Tiếc rẻ của / Tiếc của: To regret the loss of possessions or money; to be stingy or overly attached to material things.
  • Bà ấy tiếc rẻ của nên không chịu vứt đồ cũ. (She regrets wasting things / is attached to her possessions, so she refuses to throw old stuff away.)

verb

1. to regret