1
: the fact of having committed a breach of conduct especially violating law and involving a penalty
A jury will determine the defendant's guilt or innocence.
broadly
: guilty conduct
2
a
: the state of one who has committed an offense especially consciously
His guilt was written in his face.
b
: feelings of deserving blame especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy : self-reproach
3
: a feeling of deserving blame for offenses
Wracked by guilt, he confessed his affairs.
guilted; guilting; guilts
: to cause (someone) to feel guilty
Don't listen to Mommy. She's trying to guilt you.—
Gary Shteyngart
: to persuade (someone) to do something by causing feelings of guilt
Gary Shteyngart… guilting her to eat her own green beans because "there are starving children in Africa."—Katie Boerema
—often followed by intoKatie BoeremaA far stronger compulsion is created when people think they're being watched, as a mildly impressive 86 percent of people were guilted into washing their hands in one study.—Steve Lipsher
Steve LipsherExamples of guilt in a Sentence
Noun
The jury determines the defendant's guilt or innocence.
His guilt in the matter was indisputable.
It was clear that the guilt lay with him.
a strong sense of guilt
She feels guilt over something that happened before she was born!
our secret guilts and insecurities
Recent Examples on the Web
Armond White, National Review, 16 May 2025
That lawsuit was settled within 24 hours for $20 million, with no admission of guilt from Combs.
—Elizabeth Rosner, People.com, 16 May 2025
Steve Price, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
In contrast, a controlling partner may use their past sacrifices to guilt you into compliance, treating the relationship as a transactional exchange rather than a mutual partnership.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for guilt
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Noun
Proposing that the artifacts belong where their makers live now is sensible, but the problem at the heart of Dahomey is its presumption of guilt without resolution or remedy.
—Armond White, National Review, 16 May 2025
That lawsuit was settled within 24 hours for $20 million, with no admission of guilt from Combs.
—Elizabeth Rosner, People.com, 16 May 2025
Verb
Rather than trying to guilt people into certain behaviors, Pledgeball aims to shift attitudes so that soccer fans can get involved, talk with each other and feel more empowered by their actions.
—Steve Price, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
In contrast, a controlling partner may use their past sacrifices to guilt you into compliance, treating the relationship as a transactional exchange rather than a mutual partnership.
—Mark Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for guilt
Cite this Entry
“Guilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guilt. Accessed 28 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
guilt
noun1
: the fact of having done something wrong and especially something that is punishable by law
2
: the state of one who has done something wrong : blameworthiness
3
: a feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing
guiltless
adjective
-ləs
Medical Definition
guilt
noun
: feelings of culpability especially for imagined offenses or from a sense of inadequacy : morbid self-reproach often manifest in marked preoccupation with the moral correctness of one's behavior
aggressive responses originating in inner guilt and uncertainty
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