Meaning & use

guilt

noun·Everyday

A feeling of responsibility or remorse for having done something wrong.

See it in a sentence

Guilt kept him awake after he realized he had blamed his coworker unfairly.

She felt a wave of guilt for forgetting her friend's birthday.

A note on using this word

Guilt is an emotional response, while guilt in a legal sense means having actually committed the offense in question.

Words with a similar meaning

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Words with an opposite meaning

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