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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compunctious
Adjective
-
Going for the black puffer coat is nothing to be ashamed of.—
Frances Solá-Santiago,
InStyle,
25 Jan. 2026 -
He would be honored in Alex’ sacrifice, and ashamed of this current administration.—
Ivan Pereira,
ABC News,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
In the footage, Rivera is initially apologetic to the trooper who pulls him over, saying sorry for going through a red light.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Bloom’s Keiwon Gulley is too irrepressible and in the moment to ever feel sorry for himself.—
Patrick Z. McGavin,
Chicago Tribune,
19 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
-
Is DeAngelo remorseful for his crimes?—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
10 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
In the footage, Rivera is initially apologetic to the trooper who pulls him over, saying sorry for going through a red light.—
Colleen Cronin,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
-
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
Adjective
-
Simon is angry, regretful, and disappointed at his lack of control.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
-
Williams knows how to humanize this bare-bones vocabulary, minutely adjusting the voicing of a chord or caressing the last of a set of recurring motifs with a regretful ritardando.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Compunctious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compunctious. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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