guilt-ridden
GILT-rid-uhn
/ˈɡɪltˌrɪdən/
Filled with or tormented by a feeling of guilt.
Implies that guilt dominates one's thoughts and heavily burdens one's emotional state.
The story behind the word. Guilt-ridden pairs Old English 'gylt' (a delinquency or payment owed) with 'ridden', as in 'bedridden' or 'disease-ridden'. It paints a picture of someone ridden hard, oppressed, and physically weighed down by their own wrongdoings.
Word relationships
- remorseful: Remorseful focuses on grief over a specific deed, while guilt-ridden highlights being oppressed by the mental burden.
- guilt-free: Guilt-free describes complete absence of remorse or responsibility.
Commonly confused with
- gilt-ridden: Gilt refers to gold leaf overlay; guilt-ridden refers to emotional torment.
Word family
- guilt (noun): the fact or state of having committed an offense
Collocations
- guilt-ridden conscience
- guilt-ridden confession
- guilt-ridden executive
Example sentences
- "The guilt-ridden informant could no longer sleep after betraying his colleagues." Character drama
Memory hook
Imagine guilt riding on your back like a heavy weight you cannot throw off. Ridden and oppressed by a heavy conscience.
When not to use
Do not use for fleeting moments of awkwardness; it describes a persistent, heavy emotional burden.
Fun facts
- The word 'ridden' in compounds originally referred to being controlled or thoroughly infested, as in 'hag-ridden' or 'pest-ridden'.
Related words
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