guilty

[ gil-tee ]

/ ˈgɪl ti /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for: guilty / guiltiness on Thesaurus.com

adjective, guilt·i·er, guilt·i·est.

having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, especially against moral or penal law; justly subject to a certain accusation or penalty; culpable: The jury found her guilty of murder.

characterized by, connected with, or involving guilt: guilty intent.

having or showing a sense of guilt, whether real or imagined: a guilty conscience.

OTHER WORDS FOR guilty

2 criminal, felonious, culpable; illicit, nefarious.

See synonyms for guilty on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of guilty

before 1000; Middle English; Old English gyltig.See guilt, -y¹

OTHER WORDS FROM guilty

guilt·i·ly, adverbguilt·i·ness, nouno·ver·guilt·y, adjectivequa·si-guilt·i·ly, adverb

quasi-guilty, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use guilty in a sentence

I don't think her father is guiltier than a great many other people who haven't been found out.
The Quality of Mercy|W. D. Howells
He fancied that the old man turned his head quickly and glanced in his direction, and never had the operative felt guiltier.
The Crevice|William John Burns and Isabel Ostrander
And all the time Jerry felt guiltier and guiltier and the half-dollar in his pocket seemed to become bigger and heavier.
The Circus Comes to Town|Lebbeus Mitchell
What if he wished his father's death, and therefore was guiltier than he who carried out that wish?
The Day of Wrath|Maurus Jkai

If he returns to darkness, his darkness is blacker and guiltier than before.
The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Galatians|G. G. Findlay

British Dictionary definitions for guilty

guilty

/ (ˈɡɪltɪ) /

adjective guiltier or guiltiest

responsible for an offence or misdeed

law having committed an offence or adjudged to have done sothe accused was found guilty

plead guilty law (of a person charged with an offence) to admit responsibility; confess

of, showing, or characterized by guilta guilty smile; guilty pleasures

Derived forms of guilty

guiltily, adverbguiltiness, noun

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

guilty

OTHER WORDS FOR guilty

Origin of guilty

OTHER WORDS FROM guilty

Words related to guilty

How to use guilty in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for guilty

Derived forms of guilty