as in guilt
a feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing
he was filled with self-reproach for causing the accident
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Recent Examples of self-reproach
The self-reproaches are reproaches against a loved object which have been shifted away from it on to the patient’s ego.
—
Gary Greenberg, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
That guilt can deepen the cycle, turning what started as self-care into self-reproach.
—Christine Michel Carter, Parents, 20 May 2025
Orsolya is apparently wracked with feelings of complicity, though the film, which is made up mainly of extended shots of her conversations with other people, questions the sincerity of her self-reproach against a backdrop of ethnic tension and neoliberal sprawl in Romania.
—Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Amanda’s self-reproach expresses a depressed national mood.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 Apr. 2024
Jihan was overtaken by bitterness and self-reproach.
—Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
Photo: andrew caballero-reynolds/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images Festivus has its airing of grievances and the 2024 Democratic National Convention in August may feature the wailing of self-reproach.
—James Freeman, WSJ, 26 Dec. 2023
One of the many poignant aspects of Nick’s early death is that his friends have carried a lifelong sense of regret and even self-reproach.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 18 Dec. 2023
For an artist, self-reproach and self-aggrandizement can be two faces of the same mirror.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 30 Nov. 2023
Gary Greenberg, Harpers Magazine, 18 June 2025
That guilt can deepen the cycle, turning what started as self-care into self-reproach.
—Christine Michel Carter, Parents, 20 May 2025
Orsolya is apparently wracked with feelings of complicity, though the film, which is made up mainly of extended shots of her conversations with other people, questions the sincerity of her self-reproach against a backdrop of ethnic tension and neoliberal sprawl in Romania.
—Beatrice Loayza, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2025
Amanda’s self-reproach expresses a depressed national mood.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 Apr. 2024
Jihan was overtaken by bitterness and self-reproach.
—Anand Gopal, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
Photo: andrew caballero-reynolds/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images Festivus has its airing of grievances and the 2024 Democratic National Convention in August may feature the wailing of self-reproach.
—James Freeman, WSJ, 26 Dec. 2023
One of the many poignant aspects of Nick’s early death is that his friends have carried a lifelong sense of regret and even self-reproach.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 18 Dec. 2023
For an artist, self-reproach and self-aggrandizement can be two faces of the same mirror.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 30 Nov. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-reproach
Noun
-
An Alford plea is one in which a defendant admits no guilt, but concedes that prosecutors have enough evidence to secure a conviction.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Variety spoke with Frankel about Grasso and Tom’s final confrontation, whether the detective was using Lizzie in earlier episodes, and the Catholic guilt riddled throughout the series.—
Leia Mendoza,
Variety,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The thought of this act of petty vengefulness, and others like it, were later on to fill me with remorse.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
-
A day later, Grande left a comment on the post, expressing her remorse for the interaction.—
Ashley Hume,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Former Vice President Kamala Harris reiterated her regret over Tesla CEO Elon Musk being snubbed four years ago by then-President Joe Biden.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
-
The ballad reflects on a chance meeting with an ex after a breakup and serves as a rare apology from the singer, expressing regret for a relationship that ended too soon.—
Bryan West,
Nashville Tennessean,
17 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
What a shame Dennis Gimball won’t be alive to run on it.—
Scott Tobias,
Vulture,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Which is a shame, as Denver had veteran hands on-side.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
15 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-reproach.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-reproach. Accessed 20 Oct. 2025.
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