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
-
Maybe the mere fact of having been born illustrious, with no apparent faults, with nothing to prove or to be ashamed of, had liberated John from the resentments the rest of us feel, and from the cunning and ambition such resentments fuel.—
Jeffrey Eugenides,
New Yorker,
4 Apr. 2026 -
This is a terrible blow against reform and the Dems should be ashamed.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
If enough rank-and-file lawmakers stood as one, challenged their party’s leaders and refused to accept this sorry system, the whole shady mess would grind to a halt.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
11 Apr. 2026
-
Yeah, sports betting or sorry, gambling isn’t the DSM-5.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Horner did not seem remorseful in the interview, Espinoza said.—
Amy McDaniel,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Todd Kesterson of Kaufman Rossin said his remorseful clients aren't necessarily strapped for cash, but are frequently displeased when their children's fortunes exceed theirs.—
Hayley Cuccinello,
CNBC,
2 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
That letter arrived after shorter apologetic statements from BAFTA and Davidson, along with an earlier apology from the BBC.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
8 Apr. 2026
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In the final moments before learning his fate, Whaley addressed the judge and appeared apologetic.—
Alysia Burgio,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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 14 Apr. 2026.
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