guilt

[ gilt ]
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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.

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

  1. conduct involving the commission of such crimes, wrongs, etc.: to live a life of guilt.

verb (used with object)Informal.
  1. to cause to feel guilty (often followed by out or into): She totally guilted me out, dude. He guilted me into picking up the tab.: See also guilt-trip.

Origin of guilt

1
First recorded before 1000; Middle English gilt, Old English gylt “offense”

Other words for guilt

Opposites for guilt

Other words from guilt

  • non·guilt, noun
  • pre·guilt, noun

Words that may be confused with guilt

Words Nearby guilt

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use guilt in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for guilt

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

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

  2. archaic sin or crime

Origin of guilt

1
Old English gylt, of obscure origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012