as in ashamed
feeling sorrow for a wrong that one has done
he appeared not the least bit compunctious about ditching his friends at the restaurant and leaving them to pay the bill
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compunctious
Adjective
-
Krawiec said those services help her focus on school without feeling ashamed for asking for help.—
Nick Lunemann,
CBS News,
15 Dec. 2025 -
Sarah’s sister, the missing girl’s mother, prays with desperate hope for her own child, yet feels ashamed—a heartbreakingly human reaction in the face of such horror.—
Nuri Kino,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Wait, sorry, who is Ashley French?—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Their new offering will cover stories on the mental side of sports, such as how to drink coffee like Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell, and tips from a gold medalist on how to say sorry less.—
Emily Olsen,
New York Times,
6 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
During his years behind bars, the 81 year old became reflective and remorseful, though no less colorful.—
Johnny Dodd,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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Is DeAngelo remorseful for his crimes?—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
Days later, Levine wrote that the merchandise had been returned with an apologetic note written in red pen.—
Brian Niemietz,
Mercury News,
30 Dec. 2025
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Far from apologetic, Reisman had no compunction about justifying his actions.—
Julien Levy,
Rolling Stone,
27 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The two end up drinking together, and the next morning, Rebecca wakes up in his bed, regretful of the one-night stand.—
Samantha Stutsman,
PEOPLE,
21 Dec. 2025
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Tsukasa is 26 and feeling a little wayward, regretful about his late start in figure skating.—
Kambole Campbell,
Vulture,
9 Dec. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Compunctious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compunctious. Accessed 14 Jan. 2026.
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