survivor guilt

American  

noun

Psychiatry.

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

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survivor guilt Cultural  

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.

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Etymology

Origin of survivor guilt

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

For my brother and myself, our childhoods were mixed with survivor guilt, great adventures, beauty and education.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 12, 2019

This, combined with the fact that he never fired a bullet during the war, has left him with a strong feeling of survivor guilt.

From BBC • Jun. 5, 2017

By the time each has unloaded his back story, we’ve been given a history of genocide, a helping of survivor guilt, a course in the hazards of gambling, and much, much more.

From New York Times • Feb. 21, 2017

His wife said she felt pangs of "survivor guilt," knowing that their home was probably still dry while so many neighbors had flood damage.

From US News • Aug. 15, 2016

In the early days of Branwell’s silence, I wondered—in light of Nikki s injury—if a new generation of survivor guilt had spilled over into him.

From "Silent To The Bone" by E.L. Konigsburg