14 Guilt Synonyms and When to Use Them
Medically Reviewed By Kelly Kampf, LCSWAt times in life, you might experience feelings of guilt. Alternatively, someone might try to make you feel guilty over something that you did, orover something you didn’t do but should have. Sometimes you may feel that “guilt” is not quite the right word for what you are feeling, but don’t know how to describe it to anyone.
Understanding exactly what guilt is can help you identify the guilt synonym that fits your feelings and situation. Knowing synonyms for guilt and having a full understanding of what it means to feel guilty can help you articulate your feelings to your loved ones or a therapist.
What Guilt Is
Guilt is an involuntary emotion rooted in self-examination, a feeling that occurs when someone perceives that they have broken their own code of conduct or have violated a standard universal moral code. The emotion occurs when you feel responsibility for breaking that code.
However, guilt can be felt even when no code has been broken, or when no direct responsibility is actually present. Guilt is about perceived responsibility and moral codes. One can feel guilt frequently, even when they have no logical reason to do so by another person’s standards.
Why Guilt Is Important
Guilt is an important emotion. Healthy feelings of guilt help us to make moral and universally acceptable decisions about our behavior. People who frequently feel guilt are more likely to be empathetic to others in various situations, especially those situations for which they feel guilty. Guilt has a great impact not only on the self, but also on interpersonal relationships.
However, too much guilt can lead to shame, a problematic emotional experience. While guilt is a feeling that something one has done is bad, shame is a feeling that one may face judgment or ridicule for what they have done. Shame often leads to feelings of inadequacy, depression, and poor self-image. It can also lead to strained relationships with other people.
Guilt is difficult to measure psychologically because it is a strictly internal process and emotion. However, researchers have recently found methods to measure guilt. This measurement is important because it allows a psychologist to determine if an experience of guilt is typical or is a part of a potential neurosis.
Guilt Synonyms
You will sometimes need to understand your feelings or describe them to someone else. Knowing the right guilt synonym for what you are feeling can give you that understanding. You may find, if you are suffering from extreme cases of guilt, shame or depression, that talking to a professional can help you achieve feelings of self-forgiveness and self-love.
The following list of guilt synonyms will help you better articulate what you are feeling. Sometimes merely saying that you feel “guilty” does not communicate your feelings effectively or accurately. Feelings of guilt have many nuances, and a guilt synonym may make your experience easier to explain to others.
Culpability
Culpability, in short, is blame. When you feel culpable, it means that you are blaming yourself for something that you feel you are responsible for: something that you did or something that you left undone. Either way, culpability is often perceived. Culpability can also be conferred on you by someone else.
Disgrace
Feeling in disgrace means that you are experiencing a state of shame. You may be told that you are a disgrace by others who are close to you if you have done something that they blame you for. Much more frequently, people feel that they are disgraced because they feel extremely guilty for something that they have done that they perceive as wrong.
Liability
Liability is the equivalent of answerability and responsibility. When you are responsible for something bad that has happened, you may feel liable. You may not feel actual blame for what you have done, but you may experience liability where you know something was your fault. You may even feel guilty for not feeling shame over something you were liable for.
Regret
Feeling regret means that you remain upset over a past action, failure to act, or feeling. Often feelings of guilt come with feelings of regret, and vice versa. However, it is possible to feel regret without feeling intense guilt. Again, sometimes if you regret something but do not feel the shame of guilt, you may in turn feel guilty for not having feelings of shame.
Remorse
Remorse is similar to regret. When you feel remorse, you have bad feelings about something that has happened or something that you did. Remorse often goes hand in hand with feelings of intense guilt. You feel badly about what you did, so you wish that you had not done it. Feelings of remorse are often followed by apologies to the party that you feel you have wronged.
Responsibility
When you feel responsible for something, it means that you feel that you are to blame for what happened. For someone who experiences feelings of guilt easily, feeling responsibility for a situation may not necessarily be logical or mean that they were to blame. Others may see things quite differently.
Contrition
Contrition is another word for regret. When you feel contrition, you are feeling sorry for what happened or what you did. A common use of the word “contrition” is the ritual of committing an act of contrition within the Catholic Church—an act that demonstrates remorse for sinful thoughts or actions.
Dishonor
Dishonor is another word for strong guilt. When you feel dishonor, you feel that an action was morally wrong; therefore, you feel deeply guilty about it. Dishonor is usually felt by people who hold themselves to a very strict code of conduct or ethics and feel that they have broken that code.
Infamy
Infamy is less about internal feelings of self-image and more about feelings of perception by others. You may feel that you are living “in infamy” if you have done something that you think has given you a bad reputation. However, sometimes this feeling is wholly internal and not backed up by actual social rejection.
Onus
Onus is another word for burden, and guilt is definitely a burden. When a situation arises that you feel badly about, your emotions may feel like a burden that you must carry. Such burdens can become overwhelming if you ruminate on them, and it can be helpful to discuss feelings of onus with a therapist before they grow.
Penitence
Penitence is another word for severe guilt, meaning that you are shamed by what you have done and also feel extreme sorrow about it. When you feel penitent, it means that you wish to do something to make up for the offending actions or words. The sorrow that accompanies penitence can lead to depression and feelings of low self-worth if left unaddressed.
Self-condemnation
Self-condemnation is one of the most extreme and unhealthy guilt synonyms. When you are feeling self-condemnation, you are passing severe judgment on yourselfbecause of what happened or what you did. Self-condemnation means that you not only feel guilty, but also berate yourself to the point that you cannot move past your feelings of guilt and shame.
Self-reproach
Self-reproach is another guilt synonym similar to self-condemnation. With self-reproach comes feelings of guilt, shame, low self-worth, blame, and sorrow. When you experience feelings of self-reproach, you are likely stuck focusingthe offending actions or words. You may be quite overwhelmed with these feelings and struggle to move on from them.
Peccability
Peccability is less commonly used guilt synonym, the opposite of “impeccability” (meaning immaculateness or blamelessness). Peccability can also be used to describe sin. When you feel peccable, you feel extreme shame over your words or actions. You may even feel that you have committed a sin against your religion or a universal moral code.
Getting Help with Guilt
Mild feelings of guilt, especially when you know you have done something wrong, are typical and often temporary. But if you are feeling such strong guilt or shame that you are fixatingon it, unable to move on, orexperiencing sorrow that interferes with your daily life, you may want to seek out help from a mental health professional. Studies have shown that people who experience shame are at greater risk of developing anxiety and depression. A trained therapist can discuss your feelings with you and help you understand Online therapy from BetterHelp is a great resource for addressing any feelings of guilt, and the convenience, affordability, and effectiveness of online therapy make it a flexible, accessible option for anyone.
BetterHelp will match you with a licensed mental health professional who can help you address and manage your feelings of guilt. With BetterHelp’s online therapy, you can access mental healthcare whenever you need it, from the comfort of your own home, in whichever format—video chats, phone calls, emails, or text messages—is the best fit for you. This flexibility also allows you to communicate with a counselor as privately as you wish. The reviews below show how BetterHelp has been able to support others dealing with difficult emotions.
Rhonda has been so helpful for me in overcoming painful guilt and shame so I could move forward with my life. I continue to seek her guidance when life throws new challenges at me. But, I no longer feel Overwhelmed and stuck. I know I have someone in my corner who’s only agenda is to help me.
Jennifer is caring and very accessible. I feel like I have made so much more progress with her than I have any other counselor. She doesn’t make me feel bad about my less desirable or unkind thoughts. She has this great maternal energy.
Conclusion
If you are struggling with feelings of guilt or shame, know that help is available. With the support of a mental health professional, you can learn to manage these feelings. Take the first step today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do you make someone forget something embarrassing?
It’s not always easy to forget a secret or something embarrassing. The first step to get over something embarrassing is to realize that we all have our moments. Whatever the issue is that you’re embarrassed about will fade in your own mind and in the mind of everyone else over time.
Can you train yourself to forget something?
Have you ever tried to forget a secret? The more you try to force yourself to forget about something, the stronger the memory takes hold. The effort that you put into trying to forget a secret or embarrassing situation is actually fueling the memory as hiding it constantly on your mind.
How do you make your mind forget something?
The best way to get over a painful memory or situation is to deal with it. Trying to make yourself forget about something only reinforces it in your memory. Talking to a licensed psychotherapy professional can help you “unpack” the incident so you can move on from the situation.
Why do I forget things instantly?
If you find that you have trouble with short-term memory loss, this can be a sign of a larger medical or mental health issue. Seek professional advice from your primary care provider to rule out symptoms of medical and mental illness.
How long does it take someone to forget something?
Everyone remembers things differently. Some people may forget about a negative or embarrassing incident immediately, while others may linger on the same incident for years — or even a lifetime. If you’re being plagued by painful or embarrassing memories — that you can’t seem to get rid of, talk to a licensed therapy professional to get advice and support.
How do you Unsee something?
As much as we sometimes wish it was possible, it’s impossible to “unsee something you’ve already seen. Our brains are wired much like a computer. The moment you see something an imprint is stored in your brain. Anything related to the incident can trigger a memory. If you’re having trouble with processing and moving past a traumatic or painful event, get help from a licensed therapy expert at BetterHelp.com.
Is there a pill that erases your memory?
In the same way that we can’t “unsee” things, experts have yet to find a way to erase the mind or memory. While some medications and illicit drugs can suppress or distort your memory, a memory is a biological imprint that can never be completely erased.
Can you deliberately forget something?
Trying to suppress a memory is usually not the best idea. The act of suppressing itself causes you to constantly focus on the very thing you want to suppress. As a result, trying to suppres the memory has the opposite effect and keeps the memory at the front of your mind. If you need help overcoming a traumatic memory or experience, talk with a licensed therapy professional.
Why can’t I remember my past?
The experience of time or trauma can cause painful memories to fade. Defensive mechanisms that are built into our minds automatically try to prevent the body from experiencing as much physical pain as possible. This is also the case for mental pain and trauma. Your brain may store the information in a suppressed part of the mind that is only activated by a specific trigger.
How do I erase my memory?
The mind isn’t wired for us to erase our memories. Even the most deeply suppressed memories of pain and trauma (as far back as early childhood) remind stored as events in our history. People who have experienced severe mental trauma may act out unhealed pain in their lives. The licensed mental health professionals at leading therapy platforms like BetterHelp can help put you on a path to healing trauma and childhood wounds.
Can you forget childhood trauma?
While the pain of experiencing childhood trauma can lessen with time and the memories can fade, it is unlikely that you will completely forget having childhood trauma. This is why it’s important to find an outlet and learn how to work through these issues with a licensed therapy professional.
How can I forget someone fast?
The fastest way to get over someone is to acknowledge the truth of whatever happened. Once you look at the truth, you can understand what caused the situation to take a negative turn. Processing this information with yourself or someone like a therapist can help you to avoid similar negative situations in the future.
How do you remove someone from your life?
If you feel that a relationship, friendship, or other long-term contract needs to end, the best thing to do is to be honest with yourself and the other person about why you no longer want them in your life. Being clear with them (and yourself) can go a long way towards healing the situation on both sides and making a clean break. Remember that breaking up can be a painful experience regardless of which side of the breakup you’re on. Get professional help if you’re having trouble getting over a breakup or separation.
How can I forget and move on?
Learning how to process your true feelings about negative situations is the best route to take towards healing. Being honest with yourself about how the situation affected you will allow you to process the information and heal faster. Going to therapy can help you gain a new perspective on many negative situations in your life.
Can you erase someone from your memory?
Our brains aren’t wired to erase information. This also includes trauma and negative events. Our brains hold on to the negative memories — as well as the positive ones. This means that you won’t be able to erase someone from your memory. However, if you’re struggling with how to make the memory of someone less painful — speak to a licensed therapy professional for help.
How can I forget love?
The pain of losing a love can be hard to bear. If you’re having trouble getting over a lost love — talk to someone about it. Expressing your feelings can help you relieve the pain and frustration behind the loss. A therapist can help you explore new avenues for restoring self-worth and learning to love again.
Can you alter your memory?
Some circumstances in life can alter your memory. For example, if you experienced childhood trauma or an injury to the head, your memories can be distorted. If you’re having trouble with memory loss or are plagued with painful memories, speak to a therapist to get help.
What drugs make you forget?
Some medications designed to treat mental illness and illicit street drugs can have an effect on your memory. While it is unlikely that you’ll completely forget about something that happened to you, these drugs may have an effect on temporarily suppressing memories.
Is there a drug that can make you forget things?
Some medications for medical and mental illness can have the effect of causing you to temporarily forget things. In some cases, this effect is intentional and can be therapeutic for people with severe mental illnesses like anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, or bipolar disorder. Talk to a medical professional if you have more questions about medications.
What drug causes amnesia?
Medications designed as therapy for pain relief or relieving the symptoms of severe mental illness can induce a form of temporary amnesia that can cause someone taking them to forget things. In most cases, especially when medication is used in this way as therapeutic, the effects are temporary and only last as long as someone is taking those medications.
