unexpiated
Definition
- Adjective:
- Not atoned for: "unexpiated" describes a wrong, crime, or sin that has not been made amends for or compensated through punishment, apology, or other reparative actions. It implies that the guilt or moral debt remains unresolved.
Usage Examples
- (The crime was not atoned for, causing ongoing distress.)
- (The betrayal lacked any act of reparation.)
- (The sin was not cleansed through ritual or punishment.)
Advanced Usage
"unexpiated guilt": guilt that has not been relieved by any form of penance or restitution.
- His unexpiated guilt drove him to confess years later. (The unresolved guilt motivated the confession.)
"unexpiated offense": an offense for which no compensation or punishment has been given.
- The unexpiated offense against the tribe required a formal apology. (The offense lacked any reparative action.)
Variants and Related Words
Expiate (verb): to atone for or make amends for a wrongdoing.
- He tried to expiate his sins through charitable work. (He attempted to atone.)
Expiated (adj): having been atoned for.
- Her expiated crime allowed her to rejoin society. (The crime was already atoned for.)
Expiable (adj): capable of being atoned for.
- Some offenses are expiable through sincere apology. (They can be made amends for.)
Synonyms
- Unatoned: not made amends for.
- Unredeemed: not compensated or saved from moral debt.
- Unpurged: not cleansed or removed (often of guilt).
Phrasal Verbs
- Expiate for: to atone for something.
- He expiated for his mistakes by working in the community. (He made amends.)
Related Idioms
"Leave a debt unpaid": to have an unresolved obligation or guilt.
- His unexpiated crime left a debt unpaid to the victims. (The moral debt remained.)
"Carry a burden of guilt": to bear the weight of unatoned wrongdoing.
- She carried a burden of guilt over her unexpiated lie. (The unresolved lie weighed on her.)