| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | regret, sorrow |
| Synonyms: | attrition, conscience, contrition, misgiving, penitence, penitency, pity, punctiliousness, qualm, reluctance, remorse, repentance, rue, ruth, second thoughts, shame, stab of conscience, sympathy |
| Antonyms: | defiance, meanness, no remorse |
| Main Entry: | conscience |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | moral sense |
| Synonyms: | censor, compunction, demur, duty, inner voice, morals, principles, qualms, right and wrong, scruples, shame, small voice, squeam, still small voice, superego |
| Notes: | conscience is the noun meaning 'a sense of right and wrong' while conscious is the adjective meaning 'aware of something, being awake' |
| Antonyms: | immorality |
| Main Entry: | contrition |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | regret |
| Synonyms: | attrition, compunction, contriteness, humiliation, penance, penitence, penitency, remorse, repentance, rue, ruth, self-reproach, sorrow |
| Antonyms: | hurtfulness, indifference, meanness |
| Main Entry: | penance |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | reparation for wrong |
| Synonyms: | absolution, atonement, attrition, compensation, compunction, confession, contrition, expiation, forgiveness, hair shirt, mortification, penalty, penitence, punishment, purgation, remorse, remorsefulness, repentance, retribution, rue, ruth, sackcloth and ashes, self-flagellation, shrift, sorrow, suffering |
| Main Entry: | penitence |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | shame, sorrow |
| Synonyms: | anguish, attrition, compunction, contriteness, contrition, debasement, degradation, distress, grief, humbling, humiliation, penance, qualm, regret, remorse, remorsefulness, repentance, rue, ruefulness, ruth, sadness, scruple, self-castigation, self-condemnation, self-flagellation, self-punishment, self-reproach |
| Antonyms: | shamelessness |
| Main Entry: | pity |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | feeling of mercy toward another |
| Synonyms: | benevolence, charity, clemency, comfort, commiseration, compassion, compunction, condolement, condolence, dejection, distress, empathy, favor, forbearance, goodness, grace, humanity, kindliness, kindness, lenity, melancholy, mercy, philanthropy, quarter, rue, ruth, sadness, solace, sorrow, sympathy, tenderness, understanding, warmth |
| Antonyms: | disdain, malevolence, mercilessness |
| Main Entry: | qualm |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | nagging doubt |
| Synonyms: | agitation, anxiety, apprehension, compunction, conscience, demur, disquiet, foreboding, hesitation, indecision, insecurity, misdoubt, misgiving, mistrust, nervousness, objection, pang, perturbation, presentiment, regret, reluctance, remonstrance, remorse, scruple, suspicion, twinge, uncertainty, unease, uneasiness |
| Antonyms: | approval, comfort, contentedness |
| Main Entry: | regret |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | upset over past action |
| Synonyms: | affliction, anguish, annoyance, apologies, apology, bitterness, care, compunction, concern, conscience, contrition, demur, disappointment, discomfort, dissatisfaction, dole, grief, heartache, heartbreak, lamentation, misgiving, nostalgia, pang, penitence, qualm, regretfulness, remorse, repentance, ruefulness, scruple, self-accusation, self-condemnation, self-disgust, self-reproach, sorrow, uneasiness, woe, worry |
| Notes: | regret carries no explicit admission that one is responsible for an incident, while remorse implies a sense of guilty responsibility and a greater feeling of personal pain and anguish |
| Antonyms: | contentedness, happiness, satisfaction |
| Main Entry: | remorse |
| Part of Speech: | noun |
| Definition: | guilty or bad conscience |
| Synonyms: | anguish, attrition, compassion, compunction, contriteness, contrition, grief, guilt, pangs of conscience, penance, penitence, penitency, pity, regret, remorsefulness, repentance, rue, ruefulness, self-reproach, shame, sorrow |
| Notes: | regret carries no explicit admission that one is responsible for an incident, while remorse implies a sense of guilty responsibility and a greater feeling of personal pain and anguish |
| Antonyms: | good conscience, happiness, remorselessness, satisfaction |