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Meaning & use

guilt trip

noun, verb·Everydayinformaldisapproving

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UK/ˈɡɪlt trɪp/
US/ˈɡɪlt trɪp/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.

Meanings

  1. nouncountableinformaldisapproving

    An effort to make someone feel bad or guilty so that they will do what you want.

    Grammar: Often used with give or lay on: she gave me a guilt trip.

    Patterns

    • give someone a guilt trip
    • lay a guilt trip on someone

    My aunt gave me a guilt trip about missing the party.

    He laid a guilt trip on his friends until they agreed to help.

    Don't try a guilt trip on me; I've made my decision.

  2. verbtransitiveinformaldisapproving

    To try to make someone feel guilty so they will agree to something.

    Grammar: Takes an object, often followed by into: guilt-trip someone into helping.

    Patterns

    • guilt-trip someone into doing something
    • guilt-trip someone

    She guilt-tripped her brother into lending her the car.

    Stop guilt-tripping me about the dishes.

    Telemarketers sometimes guilt-trip people into donating.

Word forms

pluralguilt trips
third person singularguilt-trips
past tenseguilt-tripped
past participleguilt-tripped
-ing formguilt-tripping

Common combinations

lay a guilt trip on
My mother laid a guilt trip on me for not calling.
give someone a guilt trip
He gave her a guilt trip about leaving early.
guilt-trip into
They guilt-tripped him into joining the committee.
heavy guilt trip
That was a heavy guilt trip.
stop the guilt trip
Please stop the guilt trip and just ask me.

Synonyms and how they differ

emotional blackmail
Emotional blackmail is stronger and suggests deliberate threats, while guilt trip is often casual or even joking.
manipulate
Manipulate is broader and covers all ways of controlling someone, not just through guilt.
pressure
Pressure is general, whereas a guilt trip specifically uses blame or shame.
nag
Nag means to complain repeatedly, which does not necessarily involve guilt.

Opposites

reassure

Word family

guilt noun
the feeling of having done wrong
guilty adjective
feeling or being responsible for wrongdoing
guiltily adverb
in a way that shows guilt
trip noun
a journey

Commonly confused: guilt trip or guilt-ridden?

guilt trip vs guilt-ridden

Guilt-ridden means feeling intense guilt yourself, while a guilt trip is something you try to make someone else feel.

Practice

When Maria said, 'After everything I've done for you, you can't visit?', she was giving her son a ____.

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