remorse
ri-MAWRS
/rɪˈmɔːrs/
Deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed in the past.
Remorse is a painful, biting emotional state. It is the raw feeling of wishing you could undo a past action.
The story behind the word. Remorse has one of the most vivid histories in the English language. It comes from the Latin 'remordere', which literally means 'to bite back'. When you feel remorse, your conscience is literally taking a bite out of your peace of mind.
Word relationships
- compunction: Compunction is a slight, temporary prick of conscience before or during an action, whereas remorse is deep and occurs after the act.
- contrition: Contrition is remorse paired with a humble desire to make amends and change.
- satisfaction: Satisfaction is a pleasant feeling of fulfillment or pleasure.
- indifference: Indifference is a complete lack of feeling or concern.
Commonly confused with
- regret: Regret can be felt for things outside your control (e.g., 'I regret that it rained'); remorse is strictly for your own moral failures.
Word family
- remorseful (adjective): Feeling or expressing pain or sorrow for sins or offenses.
- remorseless (adjective): Without mercy or compassion; relentless.
Collocations
- feel remorse
- pang of remorse
- show no remorse
Example sentences
- "Stop up the access and passage to remorse," A classic Shakespearean quote about conscience.
- "He felt a deep pang of remorse after realizing how much his harsh words had hurt his mother." Describing the immediate aftermath of a bad decision.
Memory hook
Think of remorse as a 're-bite' (remordere). Your guilt is biting you over and over again. Remorse = Re-biting guilt.
When not to use
Do not use for intellectual regret about a bad investment or a poor strategic decision; use 'regret'.
Fun facts
- The word 'mordant' (biting or sarcastic humor) and 'morsel' (a small bite of food) share the exact same Latin root 'mordere' (to bite) as remorse.
Related words
Also appears in
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