conscience-smitten

Thân thiện

He felt conscience-smitten after telling the lie.

Definition

1. Adjective:
   • Affected by conscience: Feeling guilty, remorseful, or troubled because one's actions or thoughts are believed to be wrong or unethical. It describes a state of being stung or pained by one's own conscience.

Usage

• The adjective "conscience-smitten" is used to describe a person who is deeply troubled by feelings of guilt. It is typically used predicatively (after a linking verb like , , ) or attributively (before a noun).
• It is a formal and somewhat literary term, often found in written narratives rather than everyday conversation.

Examples

• Predicative use:
  • After lying to his friend, he felt deeply conscience-smitten.
  • She was conscience-smitten for years over the harsh words she had spoken.
• Attributive use:
  • The conscience-smitten thief eventually returned the stolen goods.
  • He wrote a letter of apology in a conscience-smitten state.

Advanced Usage

• "To be conscience-smitten over/about something": To feel guilty about a specific thing.
  • The politician was conscience-smitten over his failure to help his constituents.
• Intensifiers: Often used with adverbs like , , to emphasize the strength of the guilt.
  • He was acutely conscience-smitten by his decision.

Variants and Related Words

• Conscience-stricken (adj): A very close synonym, meaning overwhelmed by feelings of guilt. (e.g., )
• Remorseful (adj): Feeling deep regret or guilt for a wrong committed.
• Guilt-ridden (adj): Constantly feeling guilty.

Synonyms

• Guilty: Responsible for a wrongdoing.
• Contrite: Feeling or expressing remorse or penitence.
• Penitent: Feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong.
• Repentant: Expressing or feeling sincere regret and remorse.

Antonyms

• Unrepentant: Not feeling shame or regret about one's actions or attitudes.
• Conscienceless: Lacking a conscience; unconcerned with right or wrong.
• Shameless: Showing a lack of shame; brazen.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• "A guilty conscience": A feeling of guilt often leading to anxiety. (While not the target word, it relates to the same concept.)
  • A guilty conscience needs no accuser.
• "Prick of conscience": A sudden feeling of guilt. (This phrase captures the "smitten" or stinging sensation.)
  • He felt a sharp prick of conscience as he walked away.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. affected by conscience