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
Aisha Harris, NPR, 21 June 2025
The Holocaust looms over discussions about Israel, with many claiming the country’s sense of historical guilt has made it, until recently, reluctant to criticize Israeli politics.
—Agnes Mueller, The Conversation, 18 June 2025
Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Her mother attempted to guilt her by emphasizing how much her grandmother would miss her, while her siblings accused her of lying about forgetting the dinner plans.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 24 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for guilt
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Noun
In very unhinged behavior, Lucy tracks Sophie down (after her boss expressly tells her the client doesn't want any contact whatsoever), and unsurprisingly, Sophie admonishes her for invading her privacy in an attempt to absolve her feelings of guilt.
—Aisha Harris, NPR, 21 June 2025
The Holocaust looms over discussions about Israel, with many claiming the country’s sense of historical guilt has made it, until recently, reluctant to criticize Israeli politics.
—Agnes Mueller, The Conversation, 18 June 2025
Verb
Same goes for the Trump administration — impossible to guilt.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 5 June 2025
Her mother attempted to guilt her by emphasizing how much her grandmother would miss her, while her siblings accused her of lying about forgetting the dinner plans.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 24 May 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 30 Jun. 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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