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
Recently, many have depicted motherhood as a harrowing ordeal of failure and self-reproach.
—
Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
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
Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 30 Jan. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for self-reproach
Noun
-
Plagued by guilt for having run over a person and fled, she is confronted by demons, both personal and supernatural.—
Anna Marie de la Fuente,
Variety,
13 Feb. 2026
-
And so as a result of all of this, chocolate is wrapped up with many different emotions that link in many ways to our own morality or a sense of guilt.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Waiting for a swap Garkavenko received a 15-year sentence in June, after pleading guilty and expressing remorse.—
Daria Tarasova-Markina,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
-
But because Thompson showed no remorse and took no responsibility, the jury’s recommendation represented the best possible outcome, the spokesperson said.—
Monroe Trombly,
Louisville Courier Journal,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
It’s regarded as his greatest song ever, containing his favorite themes of violence, mortality, regret, and above all, loneliness, against the backdrop of the American wilderness.—
Angie Martoccio,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2026
-
But that's definitely my big regret.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
What’s stranger than this request even is how it’s demanded without shame (or how Anna uses this to score points in her bid to win Jack over for herself).—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The woman's eyes were filled with shame.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Self-reproach.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-reproach. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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