Guilt — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈgilt/

Meaning & Definition of Guilt

Guilt (noun)

  1. the fact of having committed a breach of conduct especially violating law and involving a penalty; broadly, guilty conduct
  2. the state of one who has committed an offense especially consciously
  3. feelings of deserving blame especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy, self-reproach

Guilt (verb)

  1. to cause (someone) to feel guilty, to persuade (someone) to do something by causing feelings of guilt —often followed by into

Guilt (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing

    "he was wracked with guilt after he accidentally broke his sister's antique grandfather clock"

    similar: contriteness, contrition, penitence, regret, remorse, remorsefulness, repentance, rue, self-reproach, shame
    related: compunction, misgiving, prick, qualm, scruple, blame, culpability, fault, liability, rap, responsibility, chagrin, embarrassment, anguish, distress, grief, ruth, sadness, sorrow, bloodguilt, bloodguiltiness, apology, excuses, hand-wringing, mea culpa
    opposite: impenitence, remorselessness

  2. responsibility for wrongdoing or failure

    "the chief financial officer was saddled with the guilt for the company's failure"

    similar: blame, culpability, fault, onus, rap
    related: blameworthiness, complicity, guiltiness, sinfulness, accusation, censure, condemnation, denunciation, finger-pointing, reproach, regret, remorse, self-reproach, shame
    opposite: blamelessness, faultlessness, guiltlessness, innocence

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Guilt

The most common words with a similar meaning to Guilt:

contriteness, contrition, penitence, regret, remorse, remorsefulness, repentance, rue, self-reproach, shame, blame, culpability, fault, onus, rap

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Guilt

Words with the opposite meaning of Guilt:

impenitence, remorselessness, blamelessness, faultlessness, guiltlessness, innocence

Related Words for Guilt

compunction, misgiving, prick, qualm, scruple, liability, responsibility, chagrin, embarrassment, anguish, distress, grief, ruth, sadness, sorrow, bloodguilt, bloodguiltiness, apology, excuses, hand-wringing, mea culpa, blameworthiness, complicity, guiltiness, sinfulness, accusation, censure, condemnation, denunciation, finger-pointing

Word Forms of Guilt

Inflections: guilted, guilting, guilts

Origin & Etymology of Guilt

Middle English, delinquency, guilt, from Old English gylt delinquency

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Guilt

Words & Phrases Containing Guilt

guilt-trip, guilt trip, lay/put a guilt trip on, agonies of guilt/remorse/regret

Frequently Asked Questions about Guilt

What does "Guilt" mean?

"Guilt" means the fact of having committed a breach of conduct especially violating law and involving a penalty; broadly, guilty conduct. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the fact of having committed a breach of conduct especially violating law and involving a penalty; broadly, guilty conduct. It has 2 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Guilt"?

Other words for "Guilt" include contriteness, contrition, penitence, regret, remorse, remorsefulness, repentance and rue. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Guilt" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Guilt"?

There are 46 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Guilt". Common alternatives include contriteness, contrition, penitence, regret, remorse, remorsefulness, repentance, rue, self-reproach and shame.

What is the opposite of "Guilt"?

Antonyms of "Guilt" include impenitence, remorselessness, blamelessness, faultlessness, guiltlessness and innocence.

How do you use "Guilt" in a sentence?

Examples of "Guilt" in a sentence: "he was wracked with guilt after he accidentally broke his sister's antique grandfather clock"; "the chief financial officer was saddled with the guilt for the company's failure".

Is "Guilt" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Guilt" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Guilt" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a C1-level word, "Guilt" is typical of Cambridge C1 Advanced (CAE), IELTS band 7.0–8.0, TOEFL iBT 95–113, PTE Academic 76–84, TOEIC Listening & Reading 945+. Advanced words like this are also useful for the GRE, SAT, GMAT, and LSAT.

How do you pronounce "Guilt"?

"Guilt" is pronounced /ˈgilt/.