a feeling of uneasiness or anxiety of the conscience caused by regret for doing wrong or causing pain; contrition; remorse.
2.
any uneasiness or hesitation about the rightness of an action.
Origin: 1350–1400; ME compunccion (< AF) < LL compūnctiōn- (s. of compūnctiō), equiv. to L compūnct(us), ptp. of compungere to prick severely (com-com-+ pungere to prick; cf. point) + -iōn--ion
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m-puhngk-shuh