guilt

American  

[gilt] / gɪlt /

noun

1. the fact or state of having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, especially against moral or penal law; culpability.

   He admitted his guilt.

   Antonyms:

   innocence

2. a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc., whether real or imagined.

3. conduct involving the commission of such crimes, wrongs, etc..

   to live a life of guilt.

   Synonyms:

   criminality

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verb (used with object)

Informal.

1. to cause to feel guilty (often followed by out orinto ).

   She totally guilted me out, dude. He guilted me into picking up the tab.

guilt British  

/ ɡɪlt /

noun

1. the fact or state of having done wrong or committed an offence

2. responsibility for a criminal or moral offence deserving punishment or a penalty

3. remorse or self-reproach caused by feeling that one is responsible for a wrong or offence

4. archaic sin or crime

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Other Word Forms

• nonguilt noun
• preguilt noun

Etymology

Origin of guilt

First recorded before 1000; Middle English gilt, Old English gylt “offense”

Explanation

You experience guilt when you feel bad about doing something wrong or committing some offense. Guilt is also the state of having committed the offense — it's the opposite of "innocence." The noun guilt stems from the Old English word gylt, meaning "crime, sin, fault, or fine." Feelings of guilt are typical after you've done something you shouldn't have, like cheating on your spelling test or stealing from your little brother's piggy bank. We often say that our conscience is the source of this feeling. If you're the prosecuting attorney in a criminal trial, your job is to prove the guilt of the defendant, that is, to prove that they committed the crime you're accusing them of.

Example Sentences

Then he does something worse: He allows his guilt to shred his integrity.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Instead of debating or trying to guilt them into voting, I asked more questions.

From Salon • Apr. 19, 2026

The book draws from a period when Raicek was grappling with guilt and shame, and started spending time with new circles.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

The judge would have to infer guilt from the fact that stories contained private information, and, he claimed, Mail journalists had a "propensity" to use unlawful methods.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

She dropped it in my hand, and I felt a stab of guilt.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Related Words

• culpability
• disgrace
• indiscretion
• liability
• regret
• remorse
• responsibility
• shame
• sin
• stigma