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
Relevance
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
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
Everyone is working through some thick layers of grief, anger, and guilt.
—
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
Barzee argued the agreement absolved the congresswoman of guilt.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.
—Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
And at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, there's also a new Kids’ Club with indoor and outdoor areas, state-of-the-art Teens’ Club, and babysitting services available for when the grownups need some guilt-free downtime at the spa or on the beach.
—Sheryl Nance Nash, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for guilt
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
Barzee argued the agreement absolved the congresswoman of guilt.
—ABC News, 26 Mar. 2026
An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt.
—Dennis Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026
And at Grand Velas Riviera Nayarit, there's also a new Kids’ Club with indoor and outdoor areas, state-of-the-art Teens’ Club, and babysitting services available for when the grownups need some guilt-free downtime at the spa or on the beach.
—Sheryl Nance Nash, USA Today, 24 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for guilt
Recent Examples of Synonyms for guilt
Noun
-
Yet if the denial of a driver’s license is based on such arbitrary factors as a victim’s advocacy, or a defendant’s remorse, or public opinion, or the whims of state bureaucrats, the results are inconsistent.—
Rachel Swan,
San Francisco Chronicle,
25 Mar. 2026
-
But the judge said that, given Lau's age, her lack of a criminal record, and her remorse, the sentence was appropriate.—
Da Lin,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
This dynamic, known in counseling circles as partner-blame, is well documented in Christian purity and addiction-recovery literature.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
-
When voters worry about their wallets, incumbents usually get the blame.—
Bloomberg Opinion,
Twin Cities,
29 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Speaking at a shootaround Friday morning, Kidd pushed back on Cuban's comments earlier this week expressing regret over selling the franchise and questioning the controversial deal that sent Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers.—
Sergio Candido,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Indeed, those who spoke with Deadline expressed regret at his decision.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Namings often tied to philanthropic giving The current clamor bears some resemblance to the controversy that surrounded the wealthy Sackler family’s culpability in the deadly opioid crisis, because in both cases the institutions involved had received vast sums from the family.—
Michael Casey,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
The current clamor bears some resemblance to the controversy that surrounded the wealthy Sackler family’s culpability in the deadly opioid crisis, because in both cases the institutions involved had received vast sums from the family.—
Julie Carr Smyth,
Fortune,
2 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Relieved of their blindfolds, the men now wore heavy rucksacks filled with colored rocks representing their anger (red), guilt and shame (black), and sadness (blue).—
Charles Bethea,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
-
No matter, this is his first real walk of shame, and the grin on his face is worth a million bucks.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Guilt.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/guilt. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
