guilt
/ɡɪlt/ (bre, ipa) · /ɡɪlt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgilt/ (ame, mw)
guilt — noun
1. the painful awareness that you have harmed someone or broken a moral rule — a pr
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.
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)
Salma could not shake the guilt she felt for forgetting her friend's birthday party.
Even though he apologized, Esteban's guilt over the accident did not go away for months.
Nellie tried to push away the guilt after taking the last cake slice without asking.
- 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
- pride
a feeling of satisfaction with one's actions; the opposite emotional state
- self-satisfaction
contentment with oneself, where guilt would involve self-criticism
文法句型
feel guilt
guilt about/over something
guilt of doing something
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
2. the legal or factual finding that a person broke a law or did wrong — the direct
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.
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.
A person's guilt must be established by a jury before any punishment is given.
The court asked whether the proof of guilt in the fraud case was sufficient for a trial.
Noor claimed innocence, but the jury was convinced of her guilt by the witness.
- 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
- innocence
the state of not having committed the wrongdoing in question
文法句型
prove guilt
admit guilt
establish guilt
用法筆記
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.
常見錯誤
3. statements or remarks made to someone on purpose, aimed at making that person fe
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.
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)
Tariro refused to listen to his friends' guilt trips about skipping their New Year's Eve party.
Shanti could not stand another guilt trip from her roommate about the dirty dishes.
- encouragement
positive language meant to support rather than induce guilt
- praise
expression of approval rather than blame
文法句型
guilt about something
lay guilt on someone
guilt trip
用法筆記
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.
guilt — verb
- guiltpresent simple I / you / we / they
- guilts3rd person singular
- guilting-ing form
- guiltedpast simple
1. to make someone experience guilt on purpose, typically as a way to push them int
to make someone experience guilt on purpose, typically as a way to push them into doing something they are reluctant to do.
Élise's mother guilted her into staying for dinner even though she had other plans.
guilt + [person] + into [doing] (grammar pattern)
The charity advertisement guilted Ishaan into donating more money than he could really afford.
Esteban felt guilted into the weekend shift when no one else offered.
Ada did not want to go on the trip, but her friends guilted her into joining at the last minute.
- pressure
broader and more neutral; can be done without inducing guilt
- coerce
stronger; implies force or threats rather than emotional manipulation
- manipulate
broader; covers any type of dishonest influence
文法句型
guilt someone into doing something
用法筆記
This is a fairly recent verb use, formed from the noun by conversion. It is almost always used in the pattern 'guilt someone into (doing something).' Rarely appears without a following infinitive or prepositional phrase. Commonly occurs in the passive: 'feel guilted into.' Considered informal; in formal writing, 'make someone feel guilty' or 'pressure someone into' are preferred.