guilt

[gilt]

noun

1. the fact or state of having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, especially against moral or penal law; culpability.

   He admitted his guilt.

   Antonyms: innocence

2. a feeling of responsibility or remorse for some offense, crime, wrong, etc., whether real or imagined.

3. conduct involving the commission of such crimes, wrongs, etc..

   to live a life of guilt.

   Synonyms: criminality

verb (used with object)

Informal.

1. to cause to feel guilty (often followed by out orinto ).

   She totally guilted me out, dude. He guilted me into picking up the tab.

guilt

/ ɡɪlt /

noun

1. the fact or state of having done wrong or committed an offence

2. responsibility for a criminal or moral offence deserving punishment or a penalty

3. remorse or self-reproach caused by feeling that one is responsible for a wrong or offence

4. archaic,  sin or crime

Other Word Forms

• nonguilt noun
• preguilt noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of guilt¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English gilt, Old English gylt “offense”

Word History and Origins

Origin of guilt¹

Old English gylt, of obscure origin

Example Sentences

I’m struggling with guilt and shame regarding the amount of money we have spent since purchasing it.

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“That will fill you with guilt, and if the guilt is strong enough, you’ll need to stay to take care of them.”

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We then move between various scenes, some set in a therapy group in the future where Jacob grapples with his guilt and responsibility.

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The ghost of “Beloved” is psychological, picking apart Sethe’s traumatic experience of slavery and her guilt from murdering her infant.

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For her, and all the students who have arrived in the UK, there's a mixture of pride and guilt.

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Related Words

• culpability 
• disgrace 
• indiscretion 
• liability 
• regret 
• remorse 
• responsibility 
• shame 
• sin 
• stigma