Repine

Pronunciation

• RP enPR: rÄ­pÄ«nʹ, IPA: /ɹɪˈpaɪn/
• UK enPR: rÄ­pÄ«nʹ, IPA: /ɹᵻˈpʌɪn/
• US enPR: rÄ­pÄ«nʹ, IPA: /ɹɪˈpaɪn/

Alternative forms

• repyne 16th century

Origin

Believed to have been formed (with uncertainty, due to the unusual formation) as - + pine, with the verb (first attested in 1529) giving rise to the noun (first attested in 1593); compare the Middle English verb repinen, which may be related.

Full definition of repine

Verb

1. (intransitive, now literary) To regret; to complain. from 15th century
• 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II.3.6:But many times we complain, repine, and mutter without a cause, we give way to passions we may resist and will not.
• Alexander PopeWhat if the head, the eye, or ear repined
  To serve mere engines to the ruling mind?
• 1958, John W. Peterson, Night of Miracles:no more need men on earth repine
• 1988, Anthony Burgess, Any Old Iron:Beatrix invited me no more to tea but I did not greatly repine.
2. To fail; to wane.
• SpenserRepining courage yields no foot to foe.