From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishrepentre‧pent /rɪˈpent/ verb [intransitive, transitive] formal RRSORRY/APOLOGIZEto be sorry for something and wish you had not done it – used especially when considering your actions in a religious wayrepent of He repented of his sins before he died.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
repent• You have sinned, Jimbo, I told myself out loud, but it is never too late to repent.• At a press conference, Cheng repented her crimes.• The Church would accept her because it had to accept anyone who had repented her sins and embraced its teachings.• Separatism is an exhausting act of faith, and because of insistent pressure on you to repent, it requires almost daily reaffirmation.• I did sometimes resist her, I repent it..• I began to repent my parting with you.• Metanoia does not imply repenting, nor has it anything to do with sinning, as such.• Sin could be repented of by an act of volition; failure could not be disposed of so easily.• One approach was to read these young people the riot act and let them repent or retreat.• Repent your sins and you will be forgiven.Origin repent (1200-1300) Old French repentir, from pentir “to be sorry” 