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Glite Dictionary
conscience-smitten

conscience-smitten

9.8
Feeling very guilty about something you did
  • adjective
  • /ˈkɒnʃənsˈsmɪtən/
translation icon : atormentado por la conciencia
  • Unable to sleep, she was conscience-smitten by the choices she had made.

Examples

  • The conscience-smitten employee apologized for his mistake and tried to make amends.

  • He was conscience-smitten for not helping his neighbor.

  • He felt conscience-smitten after lying to his friend about what happened.

  • After lying to her friend, she felt conscience-smitten.

  • He felt conscience-smitten after lying to his friend about what happened.

  • The conscience-smitten employee apologized for his mistake and tried to make amends.

  • Unable to sleep, she was conscience-smitten by the choices she had made.

Synonyms

remorseful
vsconscience-smitten
18 4.6

Feeling very sorry for doing something that hurt someone

is more about being deeply troubled internally rather than outward expression of regret
guilt-ridden
vsconscience-smitten
5 6.5

Feeling very sorry and upset because you did something wrong

is deeply affected by a sense of guilt rather than simply overwhelmed

Antonyms

untroubled
4 3.5

Calm and not worried about problems

How Guilty

conscience-smitten
9.8
remorseful
18 4.6
guilty
793 1.4
uneasy
98 3.2
untroubled
4 3.5

Surface Forms

conscience-smitten positive

Morphology

conscience-smitten = conscience + smitten (semi-transparent) = conscience + smitten

The components 'conscience' and 'smitten' are recognizable, but 'smitten' commonly collocates with positive emotions (e.g., love) and the hyphenated, creative compound may be ambiguous for learners.

Etymology

Conscience-smitten combines conscience ('inner sense of right and wrong') and smitten (from smite, 'to strike'), giving the clear image of someone 'struck' by their conscience; so, it means deeply troubled by guilt or remorse.