guilt

guilt — noun

1. the painful awareness that you have harmed someone or broken a moral rule — a pr

1.nounB2
Definition

the painful awareness that you have harmed someone or broken a moral rule — a private feeling of self-blame accompanied by a wish to undo the act.

Example

After yelling at her daughter, Gita felt a wave of guilt that kept her awake.

feel a wave of guilt (collocation)

Jin felt gnawing guilt over lying about his math grade after his mother thanked him for trying.

gnawing guilt (collocation)

Common collocations
  • feel guilt
  • deep guilt
  • overwhelming guilt
  • crippling guilt
  • wave of guilt
  • burden of guilt
  • guilt-ridden
  • riddled with guilt
Synonyms
  • remorse

    stronger than guilt; implies deep, painful regret combined with a desire not to repeat the wrong

  • contrition

    more formal and often used in religious contexts; emphasizes sincere repentance

  • self-reproach

    the act of blaming oneself, often used in psychological or literary writing

Antonyms
  • pride

    a feeling of satisfaction with one's actions; the opposite emotional state

  • self-satisfaction

    contentment with oneself, where guilt would involve self-criticism

Grammar Patterns

feel guilt

guilt about/over something

guilt of doing something

Usage Note

Unlike 'shame,' which often involves others knowing about the wrongdoing or public exposure, guilt is a private feeling of self-blame. Commonly appears with verbs such as 'feel,' 'carry,' 'be filled with,' and 'struggle with.' Frequently uncountable; rarely used in the plural.

Common Mistakes

I felt great shame about lying to my mother' (when no one else knew the lie).
I felt great guilt about lying to my mother.
'Shame' implies that others are aware of your wrongdoing; 'guilt' is an internal, private emotion.

2. the legal or factual finding that a person broke a law or did wrong — the direct

2.nounB2
Definition

the legal or factual finding that a person broke a law or did wrong — the direct opposite of innocence in a court or in moral judgment.

Example

The prosecutor had to prove the defendant's guilt beyond any reasonable doubt.

prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt (legal collocation)

The evidence at the scene clearly pointed to Adina's guilt in the theft case.

Common collocations
  • prove guilt
  • admit guilt
  • establish guilt
  • confess guilt
  • deny guilt
  • determine guilt
  • presumption of guilt
  • proof of guilt
  • guilt beyond reasonable doubt
Synonyms
  • culpability

    formal legal term; emphasizes responsibility and fault

  • blame

    less formal and broader than 'guilt'; can apply without a legal charge

  • responsibility

    focuses on accountability rather than moral failing

Antonyms
  • innocence

    the state of not having committed the wrongdoing in question

Grammar Patterns

prove guilt

admit guilt

establish guilt

Usage Note

The opposite of 'innocence.' In legal contexts, guilt is a judgment that follows a verdict or a plea. Frequently paired with verbs: 'prove,' 'establish,' 'admit,' 'confess,' 'deny,' 'determine.' Not used with emotional adjectives such as 'deep' or 'overwhelming' — those belong to sense 1.

Common Mistakes

The lawyer had to prove the deep guilt of her client.
The lawyer had to prove the legal guilt of her client.
Sense 1 emotional adjectives (deep, overwhelming) should not be used for this factual/legal sense.

3. statements or remarks made to someone on purpose, aimed at making that person fe

3.nounC1
Definition

statements or remarks made to someone on purpose, aimed at making that person feel guilty — typically to get them to change their behavior or agree to a request.

Example

Kemi's aunt lays guilt on her by saying, 'I suppose you have forgotten your family.'

lays guilt on someone (idiomatic phrase)

Putri walked out when her brother laid guilt on her for missing his championship game.

lay guilt on someone (idiomatic phrase)

Common collocations
  • guilt trip
  • lay guilt on
  • the guilt
  • endless guilt
Synonyms
  • reproach

    more formal and direct; can be used without the manipulative tone

  • criticism

    broader; focuses on pointing out faults rather than inducing guilty feelings

Antonyms
  • encouragement

    positive language meant to support rather than induce guilt

  • praise

    expression of approval rather than blame

Grammar Patterns

guilt about something

lay guilt on someone

guilt trip

Usage Note

Used almost always in fixed expressions such as 'guilt trip' (noun), 'lay a guilt trip on someone,' or the shorter 'lay guilt on someone.' This sense is informal and idiomatic — it names the manipulative talk itself, not the feeling that results from it.

Idioms

guilt trip

idiom

a period during which someone makes you or yourself feel guilty about something, often by repeated comments or reminders.

My mother sent me on a huge guilt trip after I forgot her birthday.

Talia went on a guilt trip about eating the last slice of cake, even though nobody minded.

lay a guilt trip on someone

idiom

to try to make someone feel guilty by saying things that suggest they have behaved badly, in order to change their behavior.

Christopher's roommate laid a guilt trip on him for not helping with the cleaning.

When Javier took a sick day, his coworkers laid a guilt trip on him about the extra workload.

a guilt trip

idiom

Words or actions meant to make someone feel bad about something they did or didn't do.

Maya's mother gave her a guilt trip for not calling.

Did Brian try to send you on a guilt trip about the party?

guilt — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These five words all relate to negative feelings about past actions, but they differ in focus and intensity. 'Guilt' is the broadest and most common — it names the internal emotional pain of believing you have done wrong. 'Remorse' goes further: it includes a deep, anguished wish that you could undo the act, often accompanied by a resolve not to repeat it. 'Shame' is distinct because it involves a sense of exposure or disgrace; you feel shame when you imagine others judging you, whereas guilt can be entirely private. 'Regret' is the mildest of the group — you can regret a decision without any moral self-blame at all ('I regret ordering the fish'). 'Contrition' is the most formal, often used in religious or legal settings, and implies a sincere intention to make amends. For example: 'He felt guilt about skipping work' (internal blame), but 'He felt shame when his boss found out' (public dimension).

guilt ↗remorseshame ↗regret ↗contrition

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • sense of guilt
  • feeling of guilt
  • burden of guilt
  • pang of guilt

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'guilt' comes from Old English 'gylt,' which meant a crime, sin, fault, or debt. It originally focused on the objective fact of having broken a law or moral code. The emotional meaning — the painful feeling of self-blame — developed later in Middle English. The very recent verb use, meaning to make someone feel guilty, is a conversion from the noun and dates from the late 20th century, first appearing in American English.