guilt

1 of 2

noun

ˈgilt 

1

: the fact of having committed a breach of conduct especially violating law and involving a penalty

A jury will determine the defendant's guilt or innocence.

broadly : guilty conduct

2

a

: the state of one who has committed an offense especially consciously

His guilt was written in his face.

b

: feelings of deserving blame especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy : self-reproach

3

: a feeling of deserving blame for offenses

Wracked by guilt, he confessed his affairs.

guilt

2 of 2

verb

guilted; guilting; guilts

transitive verb

: to cause (someone) to feel guilty

Don't listen to Mommy. She's trying to guilt you.

—Gary Shteyngart

: to persuade (someone) to do something by causing feelings of guilt

… guilting her to eat her own green beans because "there are starving children in Africa."

—Katie Boerema

—often followed by into

A far stronger compulsion is created when people think they're being watched, as a mildly impressive 86 percent of people were guilted into washing their hands in one study.

—Steve Lipsher

Synonyms

Noun

• contriteness
• contrition
• penitence
• regret
• remorse
• remorsefulness
• repentance
• rue
• self-reproach
• shame

Examples of guilt in a Sentence

Noun

The jury determines the defendant's guilt or innocence.

His guilt in the matter was indisputable.

It was clear that the guilt lay with him.

a strong sense of guilt

She feels guilt over something that happened before she was born!

our secret guilts and insecurities

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This sense of exclusion can spark feelings of guilt or frustration, especially when your friend experiences significant life moments without your immediate involvement. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024

She’s always experienced guilt at leaving her gender non-conforming brother behind with her abusive mom, especially after being told that Orville has died. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Nov. 2024

Verb

In reality, this sort of messaging can guilt workers into giving more labour to the company via extra favors, duties, and hours outside their responsibility. —Sara Youngblood Gregory, refinery29.com, 23 Jan. 2024

While everyone else is swapping images of the aurora borealis taken from their backyards during a severe G4 geomagnetic storm, you may be left with a feeling of annoyance and embarrassment — and possibly also guilt if your kids could have had a once-in-a-lifetime experience. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

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

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1971, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing guilt

• agonies of guilt/remorse/regret
• guilt trip
• lay/put a guilt trip on

Kids Definition

guilt

noun

ˈgilt 

1

: the fact of having done something wrong and especially something that is punishable by law

2

: the state of one who has done something wrong : blameworthiness

3

: a feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing

guiltless

-ləs

adjective

Medical Definition

guilt

noun

ˈgilt 

: feelings of culpability especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy : morbid self-reproach often manifest in marked preoccupation with the moral correctness of one's behavior

aggressive responses originating in inner guilt and uncertainty

Legal Definition

guilt

noun

: the fact of having committed an offense especially against the law

not enough evidence to establish guilt

compare innocence

Etymology

Noun

Old English gylt delinquency