| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | blameworthy; found at fault |
| Synonyms: | accusable, caught, censurable, censured, chargeable, condemned, conscience-stricken, contrite, convictable, convicted, criminal, culpable, damned, delinquent, depraved, doomed, erring, evil, felonious, hangdog, impeached, in error, in the wrong, incriminated, iniquitous, judged, liable, licentious, offending, on one's head, out of line, proscribed, regretful, remorseful, reprehensible, responsible, rueful, sentenced, sheepish, sinful, sorry, wicked, wrong |
| Antonyms: | guiltless, innocent, moral, right, sinless, truthful |
| Main Entry: | bad |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | sorry |
| Synonyms: | apologetic, conscience-stricken, contrite, crestfallen, dejected, depressed, disconsolate, down, downcast, downhearted, guilty, low, regretful, remorseful, sad, upset, woebegone |
| Notes: | badly is an adverb to describe an activity; bad is an adjective to describe a condition or state |
| Main Entry: | culpable |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | responsible for action |
| Synonyms: | amiss, answerable, at fault, blamable, blameful, blameworthy, caught, caught in the act, caught red-handed, censurable, demeritorious, dirty, found wanting, guilty, hung up, impeachable, in the wrong, indictable, liable, off base, out of line, punishable, reprehensible, responsible, sinful, smoking gun, to blame, unholy, wrong |
| Antonyms: | blameless, inculpable, innocent, not guilty, right |
| Main Entry: | delinquent |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | irresponsible, defaulting |
| Synonyms: | behind, blamable, blameworthy, careless, censurable, criminal, culpable, defaultant, derelict, disregardful, faulty, guilty, lax, neglectful, negligent, offending, overdue, procrastinating, red-handed, remiss, reprehensible, shabby, slack, tardy, unpaid |
| Antonyms: | behaving, careful, responsible |
| Main Entry: | hangdog |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | shamefaced |
| Synonyms: | ashamed, browbeaten, conscience-stricken, cowering, defeated, downcast, guilty, intimidated, sheepish, wretched |
| Main Entry: | illicit |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | not legal; forbidden |
| Synonyms: | adulterous, black-market, bootleg, clandestine, contraband, contrary to law, criminal, crooked, dirty*, felonious, furtive, guilty, heavy*, illegal, illegitimate, immoral, improper, in violation of law, lawless, out of line, prohibited, racket, unauthorized, unlawful, unlicensed, wrong, wrongful |
| Notes: | elicit means to call forth emotions, feelings, and responses or to bring out or draw out, while illicit means contrary to or forbidden by law - unlawful literally, illegitimate is 'not lawful' and illicit is 'not allowed' a form of conduct will be illicit and a type of practice will be illegal |
| Antonyms: | blessed, good, legal, legitimate, licit, moral, noble, proper, right |
| Main Entry: | reprehensible |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | very bad; shameful |
| Synonyms: | amiss, blamable, blameworthy, censurable, condemnable, culpable, delinquent, demeritorious, discreditable, disgraceful, errant, erring, guilty, ignoble, objectionable, opprobrious, remiss, sinful, unholy, unworthy, wicked |
| Antonyms: | creditable, good, kind, respectable |
| Main Entry: | responsible |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | accountable, in charge |
| Synonyms: | answerable, at fault, at the helm, authoritative, bonded, bound, bound to, carrying the load, censurable, chargeable, compelled, constrained, contracted, culpable, decision-making, devolving on, duty-bound, engaged, executive, exposed, fettered, guilty, hampered, held, high, important, in authority, in control, incumbent, liable, minding the store, obligated, obliged, on the hook, open, pledged, subject, susceptive, sworn to, tied, to blame, under contract, under obligation |
| Notes: | to be accountable is to be liable to being called to account or answerable; liable means legally obligated or responsible; and responsible is liable to be required to give account, as of one's actions or of the discharge of a duty or trust |
| Antonyms: | excused, exempt, free, immune, irresponsible |
| Main Entry: | shamefaced |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | embarrassed |
| Synonyms: | abashed, chagrined, disgraced, guilty, humble, humbled, humiliated, mortified, regretful, shamed, sorry |