Synonyms for guilt
Most common
regret remorse self-reproach contrition culpability guilty conscience
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Regret — regret for having done wrong
2. Culpability
culpability, guilty conscience, sin, blame, responsibility, complicity, crime, criminality, guiltiness, offense US, offence UK, blameworthiness
Definitions
- n. 1
Regret for having done wrong.
- n. 2
Responsibility for wrongdoing.
Related words
- Word family
- guiltless guiltlessness guilty
- Phrases
- guilt trip guilt offering survivor guilt
- Is a kind of
- state
Forms
- Plural
- guilts → regrets, remorses, self-reproaches, contritions…
Choose the right word
Guilt is desert of and exposure to punishment because of sin.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- regret A time will come when you will regret your action.
- remorse He has shown remorse for the unfortunate incident.
- contrition I have come to you in great contrition to atone for my sin.
- culpability Tom was accused of lying to the court in an effort to diminish his culpability.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| guilt | rising | |
| regret | steady | |
| remorse | rising | |
| contrition | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- sin1
- 5 letters
- crime1, blame1
- 6 letters
- regret2
- 7 letters
- offense2, offence, remorse2
- 10 letters
- repentance3, complicity4, contrition3, guiltiness
- 11 letters
- criminality5, culpability5
- 14 letters
- responsibility6
- 15 letters
- blameworthiness
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (regret2 = 2 syllables).
In other languages
- Français
- culpabilité
- Italiano
- colpevolezza
- Español
- culpa