Understanding Guilt: Some Common Guilt Synonyms

Guilt: it’s something that virtually all of us experience, and it can be difficult to cope with. Feelings of guilt can keep us up at night and make it harder to get through the day. Guilt challenges us even at our happiest.

But is it possible that we use the word guilt too much? To better understand what you’re feeling, it might help get to know some of the most common guilt synonyms. In other words, there are a lot of different ways to experience guilt, and some of these terms might help you to understand the feelings you’re struggling with.

Remember, guilt is involuntary, and if you’re experiencing it in any form, there is no shame in getting help.

What is guilt?

There is no single definition of guilt in psychology because it can be understood in many ways. But we can look at a generalized understanding of what guilt is before examining its synonyms.

According to researchers, guilt is generally associated with a feeling of responsibility. Most of the time, when someone is experiencing guilt, it is because they feel like they have done something “wrong.” 

Of course, morality is generally subjective — something that one person considers “wrong” might not be regarded the same way by another person. However, guilt is usually associated with someone’s internal moral compass. To put it another way, it doesn’t matter if the actions you are feeling guilty about really happened, were truly wrong, or if they caused harm to someone else. Guilt occurs when you feel responsible for something you see as wrong or have been conditioned to think is wrong.

Guilt is also often involuntary, meaning we can’t control it. It’s not the same as just “feeling sorry” for your actions — guilt is a much deeper, often debilitating emotion, and for a lot of people, it can occur without any apparent cause.

Why do we need guilt?

Even though it is uncomfortable, some research suggests that guilt can do good.

Guilt, or any of the synonyms for guilt discussed in the next section, often occurs from self-reflection. Sometimes, acknowledging something that we have or have not done in the past can cause us to experience some form of guilt. That feeling can be a sign of growth and maturity, depending on the circumstances — feelings of guilt encourage us to improve our actions and help stop us from repeating the same mistakes.

Of course, not all guilt is good. It can also occur without cause and can worsen our feelings about an action or personal fault.

To understand this distinction further, it’s important to investigate some of the many different understandings or synonyms for guilt.

Synonyms for guilt

Guilt is not a word for one feeling, but many. If you browse the thesaurus, you’ll see how many synonyms, antonyms, and definitions are related to the concept of guilt. It might seem complicated, but all these different words for guilt are good — they can help us better understand our feelings and put them into words.

Here are some of the most common guilt synonyms that can build a deeper understanding of the concept:

Shame

The term “shame” is often used in association with guilt. However, there are some important distinctions between the two concepts.

Remember, guilt is usually felt as a responsibility for a certain action and can sometimes inspire positive change. Shame, on the other hand, is usually understood as a negative feeling. Shame is often associated with deep feelings of embarrassment, anger, and sometimes resentment. Whereas guilt is generally internal (enforced by your own moral compass), shame can be external (enforced by other people’s morals or views).

While both emotions can be felt like a negative view of yourself or your actions, they are different and can have different consequences. If you are struggling to cope with feelings of shame, it might help to seek help from a professional. Shame is often not your fault and can be overcome.

Regret

Regret is a feeling of guilt associated with one single action in the past. Guilt can be very general, but regret is tied to a specific event. If you are experiencing regret, there is probably an event in your life that you wish you could “take back” or change.

It’s also important to understand that regret is felt as a result of your own actions. If you regret something, you feel bad about something within your control at the time. Regret is common — no one knows the future, and we can’t predict whether our actions today will still feel good tomorrow. While it can inspire positive change, it can also be a challenging emotion to cope with, especially if you regret something that has had serious consequences.

Remorse

Remorse is very similar to regret, with one key difference: remorse is generally used to describe a feeling of sadness associated with regret. Remorse is often more painful and may be felt more deeply than regret. You might feel remorse if your actions caused someone else pain. In those situations, the best way forward is to apologize and learn what you can from past actions to avoid feeling this way in the future.

Responsibility

If you look up “guilt” in a thesaurus, you will probably also come across the term “responsibility.” It has already been mentioned that guilt is usually associated with feelings of responsibility, but they are not necessarily the same. If you are feeling responsible, you feel personally at fault or blame yourself for something. Feelings of responsibility mean placing direct blame on yourself rather than feeling guilty over something outside of your control.

Guilt by association

Guilt by association is very different from responsibility. This term is generally used in legal situations or ethical questions. It means being guilty by connection to someone who has done something wrong instead of being guilty of doing something wrong yourself.

It is possible to feel guilt by association yourself, but this is generally something people are accused of. If you are experiencing guilt by association, you might feel ostracized or like you are being punished for something that is not your fault.

Embarrassment

Finally, embarrassment is another word for guilt that has its own connotations. Embarrassment is generally felt in response to something you dislike or wish you could change. It is a totally involuntary emotion and can be painful to deal with.

Everyone deals with embarrassment from time to time — it’s a very natural human reaction to social situations. However, if you are coping with excessive embarrassment or embarrassment that feels more like shame, it can help to work through those feelings with a counselor.

Guilt antonyms

If you’re interested in using a free online thesaurus, looking up antonyms for guilt might also help you understand and express your feelings.

Antonyms (or opposites) of guilt include terms that can be positive, like; pride, happiness, innocence, and lightheartedness. These feelings could be understood as the absence of negative types of guilt (shame, embarrassment, etc.)

However, not all guilt antonyms are positive feelings. Irresponsibility, shamelessness, and remorselessness are all words used to describe someone who refuses to or cannot feel guilt or take responsibility for their actions.

Understanding these antonyms is an excellent way to define your guilt and look at it in a different light. In some cases, it is better to feel guilt than irresponsibility — it means you are taking responsibility for yourself and working toward positive change in the future!

Additional support is available for processing guilt

Guilt is a big concept. There are so many ways to be understood — as a bad feeling, as a good feeling, as something that is not your fault, or something you might have caused. That’s why, when it comes to an understanding of your feelings and learning how to cope with them, words matter.

Guilt synonyms, antonyms, and definitions give us the right words to express our feelings. Whether you are talking to a friend, getting help from a professional counselor, or just trying to come to terms with the way you feel, having the right words can make a positive difference.

Should you seek help on how to cope with guilt?

That’s up to you! Remember, guilt — no matter how you are feeling it — is a normal human reaction, and we all deal with it from time to time in our own lives. But that doesn’t mean it’s no big deal. Guilt can be challenging to understand and can even cause severe challenges in your day-to-day life. It can inspire positive change but can also tie us to painful memories.

So, if you are struggling with persistent feelings of guilt, you are not alone. There is never any shame in getting help to better understand and work through what you are experiencing. Online therapy with Regain is a convenient, affordable option that allows you to obtain help anywhere you have an internet connection, including from the comfort of your own home if desired. 

Online therapy has been found to be just as advantageous as traditional in-person therapy. The National Center for Health Research conducted a meta-analysis of dozens of studies focused on the efficacy of online versus in-person therapy. They concluded that online therapy is just as effective as in-person therapy for a variety of mental health concerns and conditions, including depression, anxiety, trauma, PTSD, grief, and more.  

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.