conscience-struck
Definition
Adjective:
- Feeling remorse or guilt: "Conscience-struck" describes a state where a person is suddenly or deeply affected by their moral sense, experiencing regret or pangs of conscience due to a past action or decision.
Usage Examples
- (He was overwhelmed by guilt from his dishonest action.)
- (His moral awareness caused him to feel remorse and correct his wrongdoing.)
Advanced Usage
- "To be conscience-struck by something": to be suddenly made aware of guilt or moral failure due to a specific event or realization.
- She was conscience-struck by the memory of her harsh words. (The recollection triggered a strong feeling of regret.)
Variants and Related Words
Conscience (n): the inner sense of what is right or wrong.
- His conscience told him to confess. (His moral sense urged him to admit the truth.)
Conscience-stricken (adj): similar in meaning to "conscience-struck," indicating a state of acute guilt.
- The conscience-stricken student returned the exam answers he had stolen. (He was deeply troubled by his cheating.)
Synonyms
- Guilt-ridden: dominated by feelings of guilt.
- Remorseful: filled with deep regret for a wrong committed.
- Contrite: feeling or expressing sorrow for one's actions.
Related Idioms
- On one's conscience: causing a feeling of guilt.
- The lie was heavy on his conscience. (He felt troubled by the dishonesty.)
- A guilty conscience needs no accuser: a proverb meaning that a person feeling guilt will often reveal it without external pressure.
- He confessed easily—a guilty conscience needs no accuser. (His own guilt prompted his admission.)