as in guilt
a feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing
he was filled with self-reproach for causing the accident
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 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
-
Mercy is an expansive tale about guilt and forgiveness that traces the ripple effects of one man’s most regrettable decision over five decades.—
Shannon Carlin,
Time,
29 Aug. 2025
-
An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt: A 47-year-old man from Bolingbrook was arrested on a charge of unauthorized video recording/transmission/placing device in a public place at 11:23 a.m. Aug. 24 at the police station, 1350 Aurora Avenue.—
Steve Metsch,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The peace at the end of the recent war with Israel is similarly marked by a lack of Iranian introspection or remorse.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
2 Sep. 2025
-
His remorse follows him forever.—
Jane Ciabattari
September 2,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Even Missouri Republicans are expressing a touch of regret at the thought of losing Cleaver.—
Rachel Schilke,
The Washington Examiner,
5 Sep. 2025
-
Because this is a story, ultimately, of ruin and regret and things not going to plan.—
Jessica Kiang,
Variety,
5 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
In more recent versions, joy is emphasized over shame.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Tens of thousands of spectators in Beijing looked on as the People’s Republic unveiled laser weapons, nuclear ballistic missiles, and giant underwater drones alongside armored vehicles, tanks, and parading soldiers whose marching prowess put the rest of the world to shame.—
Kerry Brown,
Time,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-reproach.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-reproach. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share