guilty
- 01 B1 Intermediate
officially decided by a court to have committed a crime.
judicially determined to have committed a specific offence. Often used as a complement after the verb 'find' or 'plead'.
Simple“The jury found the man guilty of stealing the car after a long trial.”
In context“After deliberating for three days, the jury returned a guilty verdict on all counts of fraud and conspiracy.”
UsageCommonly follows the verbs 'plead' or 'find'.
Antonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
feeling bad or ashamed because you have done something wrong.
experiencing a sense of remorse or self-reproach for a perceived moral or social transgression.
Simple“I felt guilty about eating the last piece of cake without asking.”
In context“She felt deeply guilty for missing her sister's graduation, even though the flight cancellation was beyond her control.”
UsageOften takes the preposition 'about' or 'for'.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
responsible for doing something dishonest or wrong, even if it is not a crime.
responsible for a specified error, lapse, or dishonest act. Used to assign blame in non-legal contexts.
Simple“The manager was guilty of making a very poor decision that cost the company money.”
In context“The report suggested that the administration was guilty of negligence in maintaining the safety equipment.”
UsageUsually followed by the preposition 'of'.
SynonymsAntonyms
Usage guilty today · guilty to federal · guilty plea
From Middle English gilty, gulty, from Old English gyltiġ (“offending, guilty”); equivalent to guilt + -y.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.