to expiate

Examples

• All

• Death doesn't expiate all his crimes.

  Blog text (24)

• In seeking to expiate her wrongdoings, she donated a large sum to charity.

• It's how they expiate their guilt.

  The Constant Gardener (2005)

• Sometimes it's to expiate a feeling of guilt.

  King Solomon's Mines (1950)

• Obviously, you still have some anger to expiate.

  The Favourite (2018)

• She also must expiate her sin.

  David and Bathsheba (1951)

• Perhaps my good fortune has burdened me with feelings of guilt, which I am attempting to expiate.

  Academic text (1992)

• Two ways of setting the past right, to expiate his neglect of his beloved, began to overtake him.

  Academic text (2001)

• Until he had expiated what he felt to be his guilt, he’d be incapable of those tasks.

  Fiction book (1999)

• The criminal hoped to expiate his guilt by confessing to the authorities.

Synonyms

M

to make amends

vsto expiate

66 3.4

To do something to fix a mistake and show you are sorry

is a broader formal act of making reparation for guilt

A

to atone

vsto expiate

36 6.2

Say or do something to show you are sorry and fix a wrong

focuses on repairing harm as an act of reparation

P

to purge

vsto expiate

8 7.0

To clear someone of blame or guilt

aims to make reparation rather than primarily to clear blame

A

to abye

vsto expiate

• Archaic

9.9

To make up for a wrong by doing something good

is the modern neutral verb meaning to make reparation for guilt

A

to aby

vsto expiate

• Archaic

9.9

To show you are sorry and correct a wrong

focuses on reparation rather than on paying legal penalty

How Complete

to redeem

64 6.1

to expiate

• Formal

2 9.5

to atone

36 6.2

to apologize

• US

∞ 1.7

Surface Forms

Etymology