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guilt

n. · v.
US //ˈɡɪɫt// UK //ɡˈɪlt// guilt
  1. 1 feeling of regret (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    the unhappy feeling you get when you think you have done something wrong or hurt someone.

    the internal emotional state of remorse or self-reproach resulting from a perceived moral or social transgression.

    Example

    He felt a deep sense of guilt for forgetting his mother's birthday.

    Example

    The survivor was plagued by a persistent sense of guilt, questioning why he had escaped the accident while others had not.
  2. 2 legal responsibility (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Law

    the fact of having broken a law or committed a crime.

    the state of being legally responsible for a specific offence, either through a court's verdict or a confession.

    Example

    The jury had to decide on the defendant's guilt or innocence.

    Example

    The prosecution struggled to establish the defendant's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, as the physical evidence remained largely circumstantial.
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  1. 3 to make someone feel bad (v.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

    to make someone feel guilty so that they will do what you want.

    to induce a sense of remorse in another person, typically as a manipulative tactic to influence their actions.

    Example

    Don't let her guilt you into going to the party if you are tired.

    Example

    He tried to guilt his brother into lending him the money by reminding him of all the favours he had done in the past.

    Usage

    Often used with 'into' followed by a gerund.
Etymology 1

From Middle English gilt, gult, from Old English gylt (“guilt, sin, offense, crime, fault”), of obscure origin, but possibly related with Old English ġieldan (“to pay, requite, punish”), whence yield. More specifically it could be connected with Proto-West Germanic *guldijā, whence Middle Low German gülde, Middle High German gülte (“debt, fee, financial duty”). However, neither the Old English stem form nor the -t (instead of -d) fit the continental form.

Etymology 2

From Middle English gilten, gylten, from Old English gyltan (“to commit sin, be guilty”), from gylt (“guilt, sin, offense, crime, fault”).

Etymology 3

From Etymology 1.

Word family
Idioms1 entry

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