compunction
[ kuh m-puhngk-shuh n ]
/ kəmˈpʌŋk ʃən /
noun
a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain; contrition; remorse.
any uneasiness or hesitation about the rightness of an action.
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RELATED WORDS
Nearby words
Origin of compunction
Related forms
com·punc·tion·less, adjectiveCan be confused
compulsion compunctionDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for compunction
British Dictionary definitions for compunction
compunction
/ (kəmˈpʌŋkʃən) /
noun
a feeling of remorse, guilt, or regret
Derived Forms
compunctious, adjectivecompunctiously, adverbWord Origin for compunction
C14: from Church Latin compunctiō, from Latin compungere to sting, from com- (intensive) + pungere to puncture; see point
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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