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View synonyms for guilty

guilty

[ gil-tee ]

adjective

, guilt·i·er, guilt·i·est.
  1. having committed an offense, crime, violation, or wrong, especially against moral or penal law; justly subject to a certain accusation or penalty; culpable:

    The jury found her guilty of murder.

  2. characterized by, connected with, or involving guilt:

    guilty intent.

    Synonyms: nefarious, illicit, culpable, felonious, criminal

  3. having or showing a sense of guilt, whether real or imagined:

    a guilty conscience.



guilty

/ ˈɡɪltɪ /

adjective

  1. responsible for an offence or misdeed
  2. law having committed an offence or adjudged to have done so

    the accused was found guilty

  3. plead guilty
    plead guilty law (of a person charged with an offence) to admit responsibility; confess
  4. of, showing, or characterized by guilt

    a guilty smile

    guilty pleasures



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Derived Forms

  • ˈguiltiness, noun
  • ˈguiltily, adverb

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Other Words From

  • guilti·ly adverb
  • guilti·ness noun
  • over·guilty adjective
  • quasi-guilti·ly adverb
  • quasi-guilty adjective

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Word History and Origins

Origin of guilty1

First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English gyltig; equivalent to guilt + -y 1

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Example Sentences

Slowly, slowly, dance classes may cease to be such secret and guilty pleasures in Iran.

They were found guilty of practicing habitual debauchery and inciting others to sexual deviance because of the footage.

He did not plead guilty, and has regularly filed petitions in an effort to prove his innocence.

What he has said publicly is an apology for colonialism, something we are not guilty of in Cuba.

There is no requirement for a member of Congress to resign after pleading guilty to a felony.

All the miserable stratagems they had been guilty of to win him; the dishonest plotting and planning.

He was guilty of the weakness of taking refuge in what is called, I believe, in legal phrase, a side-issue.

Ned reached home about breakfast time, and "fetched up" at the back door, with a decidedly guilty countenance.

He felt rather guilty as he strolled beside this girl whose father had succeeded.

Never in her life had the vicar's wife been guilty of profanity till now, but the opportunity was too golden to be missed.

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gallimaufry

[gal-uh-maw-free ]

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guilt tripguilty pleasure