conscience-stricken

American  

[kon-shuhns-strik-uhn] / ˈkɒn ʃənsˌstrɪk ən /

adjective

1. greatly troubled or disturbed by the knowledge of having acted wrongfully.

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conscience-stricken British  

adjective

1. Also: conscience-smitten.  feeling anxious or guilty

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Etymology

Origin of conscience-stricken

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

He would later portray himself as a conscience-stricken and unwilling participant in Hitler’s crimes, and his gamble on the sympathy of the judges at Nuremberg paid off.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 24, 2025

Before seeing the work, I assumed that the author was picking a fight with Arthur Miller, whose play “The Crucible” immortalized the historical figure of John Proctor as a conscience-stricken hero.

From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2025

Most of those who did get out were rescued only by the initiative of conscience-stricken troops and diplomats in Kabul, and by a loose network of tireless volunteers working around-the-clock stateside.

From Washington Post • Feb. 1, 2022

This outrage should stir conscience-stricken leaders to do something — anything — to ensure that it never happens again.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 12, 2017

She lay on the floor of the cabin, motionless, conscience-stricken, filled with horror.

From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry