as in doubt
an uneasy feeling about the rightness of what one is doing or going to do
throughout her school years she cheated without compunction
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Recent Examples of compunction
Colvin never felt any ethical compunctions about selling solar panels.
—
Brendan I. Koerner, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2025
Indulging the illusion that humans can control these systems while war is ongoing will tie democratic nations’ hands against adversaries with no such compunctions.
—Sebastian Elbaum, Foreign Affairs, 6 Dec. 2024
People with elevated psychopathic traits lie—constantly, intentionally, with great skill, and without compunction.
—Gautam Mukunda, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
And if the writers are true to Tolkien, our heroes will have no compunctions about killing many, many, many orcs.
—Caitlin Penzeymoog, Vox, 7 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for compunction
Brendan I. Koerner, WIRED, 13 Jan. 2025
Indulging the illusion that humans can control these systems while war is ongoing will tie democratic nations’ hands against adversaries with no such compunctions.
—Sebastian Elbaum, Foreign Affairs, 6 Dec. 2024
People with elevated psychopathic traits lie—constantly, intentionally, with great skill, and without compunction.
—Gautam Mukunda, Forbes, 29 Oct. 2024
And if the writers are true to Tolkien, our heroes will have no compunctions about killing many, many, many orcs.
—Caitlin Penzeymoog, Vox, 7 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for compunction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compunction
Noun
-
Kuemper shows his regular-season form There isn’t any doubt that Winnipeg’s star goalie Connor Hellebuyck will take home his second consecutive Vezina Trophy and third of his career.—
Eric Stephens,
New York Times,
24 Apr. 2025
-
There's no doubt now that when history is being made on the course, golf fans take notice and tune in, making these events must-watch television.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
And third, anyone without scruples can sell prescription opioids on the black market.—
Keith Humphreys,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Apr. 2018
-
Seen against the backdrop of recent events, Vought’s disdain for the rule-of-law scruples of Federalist Society legal thinkers seems entirely in line with Trump’s recent post suggesting a federal judge shouldn’t have authority over his administration.—
Stephen Engelberg,
ProPublica,
20 Mar. 2025
Noun
-
Lemieux showed zero remorse for Draper’s injuries and didn’t apologize.—
DJ Siddiqi,
Forbes.com,
19 Apr. 2025
-
To know if estrangement makes sense for you, Bryant suggests asking yourself a few questions: Does the person express any remorse?—
Aditi Shrikant,
CNBC,
18 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Provide 7 realistic objections or reasons for apathy that typical customers might have.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
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There has never been an objection to describing this highly brutal, murderous conduct in words, nor did anyone object to this office when such crime scene images were recently shown on a Netflix documentary.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
While Matt refuses to kill anyone, Frank Castle has no qualms about unleashing his bloody rage upon Kingpin’s goons.—
Jordan Moreau,
Variety,
16 Apr. 2025
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But mainstream Jewish groups have expressed qualms about the crackdown, even while approving of the Trump administration’s focus on antisemitism.—
Anemona Hartocollis,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Even if a Super Bowl never came for the duo of Martin and Smith, something both acknowledged as their only regret from their respective careers, each played a pivotal role in maintaining the storied tradition of the Dallas offensive line.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
17 Apr. 2025
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The challenge is ensuring this vibe doesn’t tip into financial regret.—
Jack Kelly,
Forbes.com,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Dina got to be with him, Dina got to spend that last day with him, and there's a lot of guilt and regret on Ellie's part.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Families who lose a loved one are prone to mental health deficits such as depression, PTSD, and anxiety, compounded by feelings of guilt, self-blame, shame, and condemnation, often resulting in social isolation.—
William Mullane,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Compunction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compunction. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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