guilt
gb/ɡˈɪlt/ us/ɡˈɪlt/
B1
English
~ 4100
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
state
1
Feeling of wrongdoing
A bad feeling you have when you think you did something wrong or hurt someone.
Usage pattern:
[someone] feels guilt about [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'guilt' (the feeling) with 'guilty' (the adjective). 'I have guilt' is correct for the noun, while 'I feel guilty' uses the adjective.
Synonyms
remorse (Stronger and more focused on regret for harm done to others.)
Antonyms
innocence (The state of having done nothing wrong, morally or legally.)
Collocations
feel guilt
|sense of guilt
|overcome guilt
|deep guilt
|carry guilt
Themes
emotions
|psychology
|daily life
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- She couldn't shake the guilt she felt after lying to her friend.
- His eyes were full of guilt when he confessed.
- The letter was written in a tone of deep guilt and regret.
- Guilt washed over him as he remembered the accident.
- Her guilt was obvious to everyone in the room.
Learner examples
- I feel guilt when I tell a lie.
- He had guilt after he broke the window.
- She could not hide her guilt from her parents.
- The man felt guilt about taking the money.
- They talked about their guilt together.
Noun
B2
state
2
Responsibility for wrongdoing
The state of being responsible for breaking a law or doing something wrong.
Usage pattern:
[someone's] guilt in [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'guilt' instead of 'guilty' when describing a person: say 'He is guilty', not 'He is guilt'.
Synonyms
culpability (More formal, often used in legal or official contexts.)
Antonyms
blamelessness (The state of being free from blame or responsibility for wrongdoing.)
Collocations
prove guilt
|admit guilt
|deny guilt
|determine guilt
|presume guilt
Themes
law
|ethics
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The jury must decide on the defendant's guilt or innocence.
- There was no evidence to prove his guilt.
- She admitted her guilt in court.
- His guilt was clear from the surveillance footage.
- The trial focused on whether his guilt could be established beyond doubt.
Learner examples
- The police tried to prove his guilt.
- She denied her guilt in the crime.
- They could not find proof of his guilt.
- The man admitted his guilt to the judge.
- We must decide his guilt or innocence.
Grammar
Dictionary form
guilt
IPA
GB/ɡˈɪlt/
US/ɡˈɪlt/
Syllables & stress
guilt (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (guilt)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: guilt
- Plural: guilt, guilts
Word family
Expressions
admit guilt
1/ədmˈɪt ɡˈɪlt/
fixed phrase
Confess wrongdoing openly
To say that you did something wrong or illegal.
Examples
- He finally admitted his guilt in the matter.
- The suspect refused to admit guilt.
feel guilty about
1/fˈil ɡˈɪlti əbˈaʊt/
fixed phrase
Have bad feelings over wrongdoing
To have a bad feeling because you think you did something wrong.
Examples
- I feel guilty about forgetting his birthday.
- She felt guilty about lying to her parents.
guilt trip
1/ɡˈɪlt tɹˈɪp/
idiom
informal
Make someone feel guilty to influence them
To make someone feel bad about something so they will do what you want.
Examples
- Don't give me a guilt trip about missing the party.
- She used a guilt trip to get him to visit more often.
overcome guilt
1/ˈoʊvɚkˌʌm ɡˈɪlt/
fixed phrase
Stop feeling guilty after wrongdoing
To stop feeling bad about something wrong you did.
Examples
- It took years for him to overcome his guilt.
- Therapy helped her overcome her guilt about the past.
sense of guilt
1/sˈɛns əv ɡˈɪlt/
fixed phrase
Awareness of wrongdoing causing emotion
A strong feeling that you did something wrong.
Examples
- She carried a constant sense of guilt after the accident.
- His sense of guilt made him avoid his friends.