guilt

[ gilt ]

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

verb (used with object)

, Informal.

1. to cause to feel guilty (often followed by out or into ): guilt-trip.

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

guilt

/ 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

Other Words From

• non·guilt noun
• pre·guilt noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of guilt¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of guilt¹

Old English gylt, of obscure origin

Example Sentences

While there may be an initial rush of euphoria, the guilt that follows can often cause a spiral of more spending.

From Salon

"She always used to guilt trip us about it."

From BBC

"When I found out some of the things that had been going on, I just felt enormous guilt, enormous remorse," he tells me.

From BBC

Emotional responses to cash transactions include sadness and guilt, reflecting a deeper psychological connection to physical money.

From Science Daily

Morris, who is Black, called claims of racism preposterous and said it was a campaign of guilt by association.

From Salon

Related Words

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