English Explanatory Dictionary

guilt

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Responsibility for wrongdoing.
  2. The state of having been found guilty or admitted guilt in legal proceedings.
  3. Regret for having done wrong.
verb
  1. To commit offenses; act criminally.
verb
  1. To cause someone to feel guilt, particularly in order to influence their behaviour.
adj
  1. Obsolete form of gilt (“gilded”)

Pronunciation

/ɡɪlt/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-guilt.wav

Word forms

guilt guilts guilting guilted

Etymology

From Middle English gilt, gult, from Old English gylt (“guilt, sin, offense, crime, fault”), of obscure origin. Possibly related with Old English ġieldan (“to pay, requite, punish”) (whence yield), from Proto-West Germanic *guldijā (whence Middle High German gülte (“debt, fee, financial duty”), Middle Low German gülde, German Gülte), from Proto-West Germanic *geldan (“to pay for”), from Proto-Germanic *geldaną (“to pay”). However, neither the Old English stem form nor its ending -t (instead of -d) fit the continental form.

Synonyms

blameworthiness culpability guilt guiltiness noninnocence uninnocence remorse agenbite rue ruth compunction contrition penitence repentance self-reproach sorriness

Antonyms

innocence blamelessness cleanness inculpability innocency guiltlessness unguilt

Related words

regret remorse

Derived words

beguilt bloodguilt ecoguilt forguilt guilt by association guilt complex guilter guiltfree guilt lane guiltless guiltlessness guiltlike guilt offering guilt-ridden guiltridden guilt-sick guilt trip guilt-trip guilt-trippy guiltware guilty liberal guilt magician's guilt misguilt nonguilt self-guilt survivor guilt unguilt white guilt
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