survivor guilt

noun

, Psychiatry.

1. feelings of guilt for having survived a catastrophe in which others died.

survivor guilt

1. A deep sense of guilt, combined often with feelings of numbness and loss of interest in life, felt by those who have survived some catastrophe. It was first noticed among survivors of the Holocaust . Survivors often feel that they did not do enough to save those who died or that they are unworthy relative to the perished.

Word History and Origins

Origin of survivor guilt¹

First recorded in 1970–75