Remorse is guilt for something you did wrong, while regret is broader sadness or wishing something had gone differently, whether or not you were at fault. If you cheated on a test, you would feel remorse; if it simply rained on your wedding day, that is regret, not remorse.
The core difference
Remorse is guilt specifically for wrongdoing, while regret covers any sadness or wish that things had gone differently.
- remorse — deep guilt for having done something wrong: He showed no remorse for the harm he had caused.
- regret — sadness or wishing something had gone differently, whether or not you did wrong: I regret not asking for her number when I had the chance.
How to tell them apart
A useful way to remember it: remorse always points back at your own conduct, almost like guilt gnawing at you, which fits its Latin root remordere, meaning to bite back. Regret is milder and wider. You can regret a missed flight, a rainy picnic, or a joke that landed badly, none of which need to involve wrongdoing.
The mix-up usually shows up when someone describes a criminal or a wrongdoer as feeling regret rather than remorse. Regret can sound almost like disappointment, so in contexts of guilt and apology, remorse is the stronger, more accurate word.
