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
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Even as workers reach a breaking point, many still feel ashamed to seek help from food banks or family, Finlay said.—
Elizabeth Wolfe,
CNN Money,
27 Mar. 2026 -
Experts agree plastic surgery and other cosmetic procedures are nothing to be ashamed of and transparency from celebrities is critical to dismantling unhealthy beauty norms.—
Charles Trepany,
USA Today,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Despite today’s sorry state, Riverside was once the cemetery of choice.—
Sandra Dallas,
Denver Post,
28 Mar. 2026
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To be sure, few freedom-loving people are sorry to see Iran’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, gone.—
Storer H. Rowley,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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His public defender told reporters on Thursday that her client was remorseful.—
Carlos E. Castañeda,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
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Melling’s scenes all took place in the objectively less exciting muggle universe, occurring along a fairly straightforward arc from spoiled bully to remorseful young adult.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The professor who gave me the news was polite and professional, apologetic even.—
Kori Schake,
The Atlantic,
22 Mar. 2026
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Eventually, he was escorted out of the event space, with Palmer looking concerned for him and apologetic toward her co-stars and the crowd.—
William Earl,
Variety,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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My sole interaction with the mother was calm and with good intentions, and the outcome of the encounter is regretful.—
Brendan Morrow,
USA Today,
26 Mar. 2026
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And the conflict behind it all dates back to a regretful college recruitment and housing decision.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Compunctious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compunctious. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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