guilt

Meanings

1. 1noununcountable

   An uncomfortable feeling that comes from knowing you did something wrong or failed someone.

   Grammar: No plural and often with feel or feelings of: feel guilt.

   Patterns

   • feel guilt about something
   • guilt over something

   She felt guilt about missing her friend's party.

   Guilt kept him awake for most of the night.

   He carried the guilt of the accident for years.

2. 2noununcountablelegal

   The fact of having committed a crime or offense.

   Grammar: Used in legal contexts: proof of guilt.

   Patterns

   • admit guilt
   • prove someone's guilt

   The jury found no evidence of his guilt.

   She refused to admit guilt in court.

   The prosecutor tried to establish the defendant's guilt.

Common combinations

feel guilt

I feel guilt every time I skip the gym.

admit guilt

The driver admitted guilt at the hearing.

a sense of guilt

A sense of guilt made her call her mother.

guilt trip

He gave me a guilt trip for forgetting his birthday.

overwhelmed by guilt

He was overwhelmed by guilt after lying.

beyond doubt guilt

The evidence proved guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

Synonyms and how they differ

remorse

Remorse is deeper and more painful, a sorrow about a wrong you have clearly done, while guilt can be milder.

shame

Shame concerns how others see you or how you see yourself, while guilt is about a specific act.

regret

Regret can be about any unfortunate choice, but guilt implies you did something morally wrong.

culpability

Culpability is a formal word about blame, with no feeling attached.

Opposites

Word family

guilty adjective

feeling guilt, or having committed a crime

guiltily adverb

in a way that shows guilt

guiltless adjective

innocent

guilt-ridden adjective

full of guilt

Commonly confused: guilt or gilt?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “guilt”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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