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

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

I live with the anguish and agony of survivor guilt.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2015

For John, what he calls "survivor guilt" reached a peak 15 years after Hillsborough.

From BBC • Feb. 3, 2014

“He went through a tremendous amount of survivor guilt about that and said to himself, ‘There’s got to be a reason.’ ”

From New York Times • Sep. 15, 2013

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