GUILT Synonyms: 52 Similar and Opposite Words

guilt

noun

ˈgilt

Definition of guilt

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

as in blame

responsibility for wrongdoing or failure the chief financial officer was saddled with the guilt for the company's failure

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of guilt And the guilt, shame and social stigma surrounding these crimes compounds the loneliness that propels so many victims into scams in the first place. — Juliet Linderman, Fortune, 16 July 2026 No Have you been charged or convicted of a felony or misdemeanor, including adjudications of guilt withheld? — Schnelle Tonge, Sun Sentinel, 16 July 2026 Sinon admonishes his king for failing to properly honor Ithaca’s dead soldiers, contributing to Odysseus’s guilt. — Natasha O'Neill, Vanity Fair, 16 July 2026 If he’s been chosen by the Olympians, their plan for him is unclear — the only divine presence onscreen is Athena (Zendaya), who may or may not just be a hallucination born out of guilt and grief. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 15 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for guilt

Recent Examples of Synonyms for guilt

Noun

The character’s remorse and disgrace become a pivotal part of the movie’s third act, which ends almost entirely differently than Homer’s nearly 3,000-year-old tome.

— Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 18 July 2026
The probable cause affidavit states that in an interview after his arrest, Lequerique expressed remorse, acknowledged the X account was his and admitted to altering images and searching online for similar material.

— Laurie Mermet, Sun Sentinel, 17 July 2026

Definition of remorse

Noun

Partly to avoid culpability at home and abroad, Jefferson pressed charges against Ogden and Smith.

— Lindsay Schakenbach Regele, The Conversation, 13 July 2026
Shared culpability The Platner campaign represented an electoral insurgency against the Democratic Party; now, there are going to be furious recriminations against those who launched it.

— Michelle Goldberg, Mercury News, 7 July 2026