Synonyms of guilty

guilty

adjective

ˈgil-tē 

as in ashamed

suffering from or expressive of a feeling of responsibility for wrongdoing

she was burdened with a guilty conscience after ignoring the stranger's request for help

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ashamed
• embarrassed
• apologetic
• sorry
• shamefaced
• shamed
• remorseful
• blushing
• repentant
• regretful
• culpable
• contrite
• penitent
• sheepish
• blameworthy
• penitential
• rueful
• compunctious
• blamable
• chagrined
• hangdog

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• shameless
• unashamed
• unrepentant
• remorseless
• brazen
• impudent
• innocent
• blameless
• cheeky
• unapologetic
• impenitent
• guiltless

Synonym Chooser

How is the word guilty different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of guilty are blamable, blameworthy, and culpable. While all these words mean "deserving reproach or punishment," guilty implies responsibility for or consciousness of crime, sin, or, at the least, grave error or misdoing.

guilty of a breach of etiquette

How are the words blameworthy and blamable related as synonyms of guilty?

Both blameworthy and blamable apply to any degree of reprehensibility.

conduct adjudged blameworthy

an accident for which no one is blamable

When could culpable be used to replace guilty?

The words culpable and guilty are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, culpable is weaker than guilty and is likely to connote malfeasance or errors of ignorance, omission, or negligence.

culpable neglect

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of guilty

The judge ruled that Trump’s November victory at the polls does not necessitate throwing out his conviction, and the guilty verdict withstands the Supreme Court’s ruling on presidential immunity. —Ella Lee, The Hill, 6 Jan. 2025

Among the detainees who will remain at Guantanamo is Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 attack, who on Friday will appear at a hearing at the base where he is expected to plead guilty in return for the death penalty being withdrawn. —Luis Martinez, ABC News, 6 Jan. 2025

More than half of the nearly 1,600 defendants have pleaded guilty, while 200 more have been convicted after trial, resulting in sentences ranging from a few days in jail for misdemeanor trespassing to 22 years in prison for seditious conspiracy. —Dan Barry, New York Times, 5 Jan. 2025

When these situations happen, Alev recommends trying not to feel defeated and working to get back on track without feeling guilty. —Cora Lewis and Adriana Morga, Los Angeles Times, 5 Jan. 2025