guilt
nounverbverbadjectivecommon in dialogue
- United States//ɡɪlt//
Responsibility for wrongdoing.
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.
Appropriate guilt is experienced when we actually do something objectively wrong—for example, exploit another, betray a trust, and so on. […] Inappropriate guilt occurs from believing a lie and is resolved by an application of the truth.
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.
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo commit offenses; act criminally.
Etymology
From Middle English gilten, gylten, from Old English gyltan (“to commit sin, be guilty”), from gylt (“guilt, sin, offense, crime, fault”).
verb
- 1
informalTo cause someone to feel guilt, particularly in order to influence their behaviour.
He didn't want to do it, but his wife guilted him into it.
Shame based parents would have guilted him for expressing anger.
We don't have to be manipulated, guilted, coerced, or forced into anything.
But I won't be threatened or bribed or guilted into giving up something that's important to me.
Etymology
From Etymology 1.
adjective
- 1
Variant of giltobsoleteObsolete form of gilt (“gilded”)
Two silver monteths, two large fflaggons, two large tankards, two silver salvers, a voyder and a knyfe, two silver salts, two guilt bolls of the like size, one other boll, three silver bolls, in all 24 pieces guilt and unguilt.
Forms
- plural
- guilts
- past tense
- guilted
- past participle
- guilted
- present participle
- guilting
- third person singular
- guilts
guilt · Responsibility for wrongdoing.
guilty · Responsible for a dishonest act.guinea · Synonym of guinea fowl.Guinea · A country in West Africa. Official name: Republic of Guinea.