Synonyms of guilt

guilt

noun

ˈgilt 

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

• remorse
• regret
• shame
• remorsefulness
• sadness
• grief
• repentance
• contrition
• penitence
• sorrow
• self-reproach
• anguish
• blame
• contriteness
• apology
• rue
• culpability
• responsibility
• compunction
• embarrassment
• qualm
• scruple
• misgiving
• distress
• prick
• chagrin
• fault
• excuses
• liability
• ruth
• bloodguilt
• rap
• bloodguiltiness
• hand-wringing
• mea culpa

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• impenitence
• remorselessness

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

• blame
• culpability
• fault
• onus
• complicity
• sinfulness
• accusation
• rap
• guiltiness
• condemnation
• remorse
• regret
• censure
• blameworthiness
• denunciation
• shame
• reproach
• self-reproach
• finger-pointing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• innocence
• blamelessness
• guiltlessness
• faultlessness

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of guilt

Decades later, the past resurfaces, forcing them to confront old wounds, guilt and the possibility of revenge. — Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026

Kick off your meal with a selection from the restaurant's impressive raw bar, which has a rotating offering of about 10 types of oysters daily—as well as the guilt-free indulgence of adding a dollop of caviar to any oyster for just $4. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026

Each case becomes a moral inquiry into memory, guilt and dignity, while Porto itself emerges as a character. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

Shortly afterward, a handful of jurors spoke out about the mistrial and confirmed they were split 11-1 — despite the holdout juror allegedly expressing reasonable doubt about Clancy’s guilt. — Caroline Blair, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026