1
as in remorse
a feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing
he was wracked with guilt after he accidentally broke his sister's antique grandfather clock
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in blame
responsibility for wrongdoing or failure
the chief financial officer was saddled with the guilt for the company's failure
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of guilt
Striving for perfection only exacerbated the sense of guilt.
—
Ben Morse, CNN Money, 25 June 2025
Jurors who voted to acquit Karen Read of the most serious charges said prosecutors failed to convince them of her guilt, while prosecutors accused Read's supporters of weakening their case.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 June 2025
In very unhinged behavior, Lucy tracks Sophie down (after her boss expressly tells her the client doesn't want any contact whatsoever), and unsurprisingly, Sophie admonishes her for invading her privacy in an attempt to absolve her feelings of guilt.
—Aisha Harris, NPR, 21 June 2025
The Holocaust looms over discussions about Israel, with many claiming the country’s sense of historical guilt has made it, until recently, reluctant to criticize Israeli politics.
—Agnes Mueller, The Conversation, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for guilt
Ben Morse, CNN Money, 25 June 2025
Jurors who voted to acquit Karen Read of the most serious charges said prosecutors failed to convince them of her guilt, while prosecutors accused Read's supporters of weakening their case.
—Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 25 June 2025
In very unhinged behavior, Lucy tracks Sophie down (after her boss expressly tells her the client doesn't want any contact whatsoever), and unsurprisingly, Sophie admonishes her for invading her privacy in an attempt to absolve her feelings of guilt.
—Aisha Harris, NPR, 21 June 2025
The Holocaust looms over discussions about Israel, with many claiming the country’s sense of historical guilt has made it, until recently, reluctant to criticize Israeli politics.
—Agnes Mueller, The Conversation, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for guilt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guilt
Noun
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Buyer's remorse does not create a felony conviction and a life sentence.—
Joshua Rhett Miller,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
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But while visitors may find plenty of reasons to feel remorse when their Vegas sojourn ends, absolution might be found in the city’s renewable energy boom.—
Max Bearak,
New York Times,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Don’t look to nobody else or point blame at somebody else because you ain’t reached or tapped into your blessings yet.—
DeMicia Inman,
VIBE.com,
7 July 2025
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The balance of the blame fell on the college, according to the judge.—
Ray Sanchez,
CNN Money,
5 July 2025
Noun
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But general manager Don Waddell expressed no regrets or disappointment after one trade fell through and several others fizzled out before gaining any traction.—
Aaron Portzline,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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Moyers expressed regret for the spot — an attack on Johnson’s Republican opponent Barry Goldwater’s views on the use of nuclear weapons.—
Stephen Battaglio,
Los Angeles Times,
27 June 2025
Noun
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Unfortunately, Singh wraps up each subplot in too didactic a fashion — Maitri’s unnerving culpability is deserving of far more dramatic focus — but watching a mother and daughter navigate their community’s suspicions makes for a fairly entertaining watch.—
Siddhant Adlakha,
Variety,
17 June 2025
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How much bandwidth is left for the grief and anger of the early pandemic days and whatever culpability Mr. Cuomo had in furthering it?—
Ginia Bellafante,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Here’s an alphabetical list: Demons at Dawn is Julián Hernández’s morning-after romance, a rebuke of the walk of shame that embraces a careerist couple’s need for love.—
Armond White,
National Review,
9 July 2025
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Many people with hypersexual behaviors feel intense feelings of guilt and shame, which can affect their mental health.2 Experts aren’t sure what causes hypersexuality.—
Wendy Wisner,
Health,
9 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Guilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guilt. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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