guilt (/ɡɪlt/)
noun · Intermediate · Emotions & Feelings
🔊 /ɡɪlt/
Meaning
Meaning: feeling of wrongdoing
An unhappy feeling caused by knowing you have done something wrong.
Examples
🗣 He felt a stab of guilt for forgetting his friend’s birthday yet again this year.
Etymology
From Old English ‘gylt’, meaning a crime or sin, of obscure origin.
How & Where It’s Used
Describes the emotion and, legally, responsibility for a crime.
Tags: emotion, conscience