guilty conscience

Examples

• All

• I guess he's got a guilty conscience or something.

  Destroyer (2018)

• Tom's guilty conscience got to him again this time for keeping quiet about Mr. Potter's innocence.

  Fiction book (2001)

• And what part did a guilty conscience play in that?

  Accidents Happen (2009)

• And now you have a guilty conscience.

  In the Name of the King III (2014)

• People have a guilty conscience.

  White Bird (2023)

• You must have a guilty conscience.

  Do the Right Thing (1989)

• Suffering from a guilty conscience?

  Johnny Gruesome (2018)

• Now we can afford it, without a guilty conscience.

  Fiction book (1993)

• Maybe she doesn't want to get involved because she has a guilty conscience.

  Blog text (8)

• In Chapter 1 of WMF, he clearly has a guilty conscience about the episode.

  Blog text (9)

Synonyms

S

shame

vsguilty conscience

592 2.3

A painful feeling of guilt and embarrassment about something you did wrong

is the inner remorse and responsibility feeling rather than public disgrace or humiliation

G

guilt

vsguilty conscience

500 2.4

A feeling of being sorry and responsible for doing something wrong

is the inner ongoing sense of responsibility after knowing one did wrong

R

remorse

vsguilty conscience

139 4.5

A deep, painful feeling of regret and guilt after doing something wrong

is broader and can be less intense than that deep painful regret

R

repentance

vsguilty conscience

31 6.6

A feeling of deep regret and a wish to change after doing wrong

is the inner sense of responsibility that may or may not lead to action

C

contrition

vsguilty conscience

• Formal

19 8.4

A deep feeling of regret and sorrow for something you did wrong

is the everyday inner sense of responsibility without the religious emphasis

C

compunction

vsguilty conscience

• Formal

9 9.6

A feeling of guilt that stops you from doing something bad or follows it

is the inner feeling of responsibility rather than the preventive conscience reaction

S

sense of shame

vsguilty conscience

7 4.9

A feeling of guilt that makes you try not to do something wrong

is the personal feeling of remorse rather than the broader ethical awareness

G

guilt feelings

vsguilty conscience

6 3.9

Feeling sorry and responsible for doing something wrong

refers specifically to the inner moral awareness rather than general feelings

P

penitence

vsguilty conscience

4 7.9

A feeling of being sorry for something you did wrong

is mainly the personal awareness of responsibility rather than the active desire to amend

P

pang of guilt

vsguilty conscience

2 6.1

A sudden sharp feeling of regret about something you did or did not do

is the lasting inner sense of responsibility, not just a brief sharp feeling

T

twinge of guilt

vsguilty conscience

1 5.0

A sudden sharp feeling of guilt

is the continuing inner moral feeling rather than a momentary sting

G

guiltiness

vsguilty conscience

1 4.9

A feeling that you did something wrong or illegal

focuses on the personal inner awareness of responsibility rather than a legal state

S

self-reproach

vsguilty conscience

1 7.1

A feeling of blaming yourself for something you did wrong

is the inner moral awareness rather than the active blaming behaviour

T

tinge of guilt

vsguilty conscience

1 6.0

A small feeling of guilt in a situation

is a fuller, clear sense of responsibility, not merely a faint trace

G

guilt pang

vsguilty conscience

1 7.0

A sudden strong feeling of being sorry for something you did

is the ongoing inner awareness of responsibility rather than a brief sharp feeling

C

contriteness

vsguilty conscience

• Formal

1 8.4

A deep feeling of regret and sorrow for doing something wrong

is the inner moral feeling without stressing punishment or religious context

Antonyms

C

clear

97 3.8

Free from guilt or blame

How Guilty

remorse

139 4.5

guilty conscience

17 4.2

twinge of guilt

1 5.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology