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
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Robertas Petraitis, known from Lithuania’s 2026 Oscar contender The Southern Chronicles, stars as Andrius, who is full of grief and guilt after a masked intruder kills his secret lover Deividas (Elvinas Juodkazis), who is Lithuania’s most influential human rights activist.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Nov. 2025
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Baramulla ultimately transcends its supernatural thriller form to become a parable about guilt, faith, and collective memory.—
Isadora Wandermurem,
Time,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
According to the fan, Nicholas Dickason, an 18-year-old Dallasite whose family owns season tickets four rows behind where Dumont sits, the Mavs governor expressed remorse for the decision to trade the star.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
11 Nov. 2025
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But Coggins said that Salah still had not taken responsibility for his acts, and had expressed no remorse.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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While many key figures—including Bush and then-Secretary of State Colin Powell—later expressed regret over the absence of WMDs and policy missteps, Cheney famously defended the invasion and the narrative around it in the following years.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Nov. 2025
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For viewers and those who had a hand in making the show, the only regret is that there isn’t more Patriot to devour.—
Claire McNear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
There is no place for intimidation or ego tripping disguised as ‘leadership,’ or for using titles and stages to instill fear and shame instead of empower.—
Becca Longmire,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
-
There is no place for intimidation or ego tripping disguised as 'leadership' or for using titles and stages to instill fear and shame instead of empower.—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Self-reproach.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/self-reproach. Accessed 2 Dec. 2025.
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