guilty

guilty — adjective

1. unhappy and sorry about something bad you have done, like hurting another person

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

unhappy and sorry about something bad you have done, like hurting another person or not keeping a promise

Example

Anjali felt guilty about forgetting her grandmother's birthday.

feel guilty about [something]

The dog gave a guilty look after chewing through the cushion.

guilty look — outward appearance of guilt

Common collocations
  • feel guilty
  • look guilty
  • guilty conscience
  • guilty secret
  • guilty pleasure
Synonyms
  • remorseful

    focuses on deep regret more than emotional discomfort

  • ashamed

    emphasises embarrassment or loss of pride about an action

  • contrite

    more formal; stresses sincere sorrow and a wish to make things right

Antonyms
  • proud

    feeling good about an action rather than sorry

  • unrepentant

    not sorry for what one has done

Grammar Patterns

feel guilty about [something]

feel guilty for [doing something]

look guilty

Usage Note

Frequently used with 'about' (feeling guilty about a situation) or 'for' (feeling guilty for an action). Can describe how a person looks ('a guilty look,' 'a guilty expression') as well as how they feel inside.

Common Mistakes

I feel guilt about arriving late.
I feel guilty about arriving late.
'Guilt' is a noun; use the adjective 'guilty' after the verb 'feel.'
She was guilty to lie to her parents.
She was guilty of lying to her parents.
'Guilty' takes the preposition 'of' and a noun or gerund, not 'to' plus a verb.

2. officially found to have broken a rule or law, so you deserve punishment or blam

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

officially found to have broken a rule or law, so you deserve punishment or blame

Example

After six hours of discussion, the jury found the defendant guilty of robbery.

be found guilty of [crime] — court decision

Piotr pleaded guilty to the charge of tax evasion last week.

plead guilty to [charge] — formal admission in court

Common collocations
  • plead guilty
  • find guilty
  • guilty of
  • guilty verdict
  • guilty plea
  • enter a guilty plea
Synonyms
  • culpable

    more formal; emphasises blameworthiness rather than legal status

  • responsible

    broader term; can apply to any duty or action, not just wrongdoing

  • at fault

    focuses on being the cause of a problem or accident

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

guilty of [crime/wrongdoing]

be found guilty of [crime]

plead guilty to [charge]

Usage Note

Common in legal contexts: a court 'finds someone guilty' (the decision) or a defendant 'pleads guilty' (admits the charge before trial). The opposite in English law is 'not guilty,' though 'innocent' is also used in general discussion.

Common Mistakes

He was guilty to steal the money.
He was guilty of stealing the money.
After 'guilty of,' use a noun or gerund, not an infinitive verb.
The judge found him guilty for murder.
The judge found him guilty of murder.
The correct preposition is 'of,' not 'for,' when stating the crime.

3. describing the person or side that is responsible for a crime, mistake, or probl

3.adjectiveB2
Definition

describing the person or side that is responsible for a crime, mistake, or problem

Example

The guilty party must pay for all the damage caused by the fire.

collocation: the guilty party

Police are still searching for the guilty person after the bank robbery.

the guilty person

Common collocations
  • the guilty party
  • the guilty person
  • the guilty defendant
  • the guilty driver
Synonyms
  • culprit

    a noun; refers directly to the person who did something wrong

  • offender

    a noun; often used in legal or official contexts

  • wrongdoer

    a noun; more general, less formal than 'offender'

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

the guilty [person/party/defendant/driver]

Usage Note

Nearly always used before a noun ('the guilty person,' 'the guilty party'). Using 'the guilty' alone as a noun ('the police caught the guilty') is restricted to very formal or journalistic writing and is uncommon in everyday speech.

Common Mistakes

The judge sentenced the guilty to five years.
The judge sentenced the guilty man to five years.
'Guilty' is an adjective; it needs a noun after it in standard English. The standalone 'the guilty' is only found in formal or legal shorthand.
Idioms

guilty as charged

idiom

used humorously or informally to admit that you have done what someone has accused you of

"You ate the last piece of cake, didn't you?" "Guilty as charged," Reuben said with a grin.

a guilty pleasure

idiom

An activity or thing that you enjoy but think is not good for you or is embarrassing.

Mina's guilty pleasure is watching reality TV shows late at night.

Is eating chocolate in bed a guilty pleasure for you too?

a guilty secret

idiom

A secret that makes you feel embarrassed or ashamed because of what it reveals.

Diego kept a guilty secret about failing his driving test three times.

Sara's guilty secret was that she still slept with her childhood teddy bear.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Guilty is the broadest and most common word — it covers both the emotional state of regret and the legal fact of wrongdoing. Remorseful is narrower: it describes deep, sincere sorrow for harm caused, with a focus on the feeling rather than the legal status. Someone can be remorseful without being legally guilty (e.g., a driver who caused no accident but feels terrible about a near-miss). Culpable is formal and centres on blameworthiness: it means deserving blame for a mistake or crime, regardless of whether the person feels sorry. For example, a security guard who falls asleep on duty is culpable for a theft even if they feel genuinely remorseful afterwards. In everyday use, 'I feel guilty' is the natural choice for personal regrets; 'remorseful' is more intense and literary; 'culpable' belongs in legal or professional discussion of responsibility.

guilty ↗remorsefulculpable

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • clearly guilty
  • obviously guilty
  • genuinely guilty

Prepositions

  • guilty of [crime/wrongdoing]

Etymology

Old EnglishProto-GermanicEnglish

The word 'guilty' comes from Old English 'gyltig,' meaning 'criminal, sinful, deserving punishment.' Its root 'gylt' referred to a fault, offense, or debt — the idea that doing wrong creates a kind of debt that must be repaid. The emotional sense (feeling guilty) developed later, appearing in English by the 16th century. Related words in other Germanic languages show the same link between wrongdoing and debt.