guilty
adjective
What guilty means
Feeling bad because you think you have done something wrong.
I feel guilty about forgetting her birthday.
He felt guilty after lying to his mother.
Test yourself
Five questions about guilty
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Question 1 of 5Meaning
What does guilty mean?
You feel guilty when you believe you did something bad, such as lying or hurting someone, and you keep thinking about it.
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Question 2 of 5Situation
You promised to call your grandmother on her birthday, but you forgot. Now you keep thinking about it and feel…
You did something wrong by forgetting the call, and you feel bad about your own mistake, so the feeling is guilt and you feel guilty.
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Question 3 of 5Gap
He still feels ___ about eating his little brother’s chocolate.
Eating someone else’s chocolate is a small wrong thing, and the bad feeling that stays afterwards is guilt, so he feels guilty about it.
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Question 4 of 5Opposite
In a court, which word is the opposite of guilty?
A court finds a person guilty when they did the crime and innocent, or not guilty, when they did not, so innocent is the opposite.
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Question 5 of 5Correct use
Which sentence uses guilty correctly?
Use feel with an adjective and no me: I feel guilty. You cannot have guilty, and the preposition before the thing you did is about, not with.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer, Enter goes on.
Guilty in a sentence
5 more examples of guilty in everyday situations.
- At work
I feel guilty leaving early when everyone else is still working.
- With friends
Don’t feel guilty about saying no to the party if you’re tired.
- Food
I had cake for breakfast and felt a little guilty about it.
- A message
I feel so guilty that I missed your call, can we talk tonight?
- At home
The dog had a guilty look when we found the torn pillow.
How to use guilty
Guilty about/for something you did. In law, guilty means a court decided you committed a crime: “found guilty”. The noun is guilt, and a guilt trip is when someone tries to make you feel guilty.
The opposite in law is innocent or not guilty.
Forms
- guiltiercomparative
- guiltiestsuperlative
- guiltnoun
- guiltilyadverb
Patterns
- feel guilty about something / about + -ing
- feel guilty for + -ing
- a guilty conscience
- be found guilty of something (law)
Common mistakes with guilty
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NotI feel me guilty.
SayI feel guilty.
Feel is followed directly by an adjective, so do not add me: say I feel guilty.
Guilty or ashamed?
- guilty or ashamed
- Guilty is about something you did wrong and often the wish to fix it. Ashamed is stronger and also about yourself as a person; you can feel ashamed of your body, but not guilty about it.
Guilty is a B2 word. Is that your level? Take the level test or count the words you know.
Guilty word family and collocations
The words that go with guilty, so you can use it in a whole phrase.
Common collocations
- feel guilty
- guilty about
- found guilty
- plead guilty
- a guilty conscience
Word family
- guilty (adjective)
- guilt (noun)
- guiltily (adverb)
Similar words
- ashamed (similar)
Opposites
- innocent
Questions about guilty
Feel guilty about or feel guilty for?
Both are used. Guilty about is the most common: “I feel guilty about lying.” Guilty for is also correct, especially before an -ing form: “I feel guilty for not calling.”
What does guilty pleasure mean?
A guilty pleasure is something you enjoy even though you think it is a little silly or bad for you, such as reality TV or a whole bag of chips.
Does guilty also have a legal meaning?
Yes. In law, guilty means a court has decided that you committed a crime: “He was found guilty of fraud.” The opposite is not guilty, or innocent.
The word before
Do you still remember snooze?
One question about the word from 21 October. Remembering a word a day later helps it stay.
One question
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What does snooze mean?
To snooze is to have a short, light sleep, like a nap after lunch. You can also snooze an alarm, so that it rings again a few minutes later.
Keys 1 to 4 pick an answer.
More feelings words
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C1
tolerate
To accept something that you do not like without complaining or taking action. -
B2
outgoing
Friendly, open and enjoying meeting people. -
C1
moody
Having moods that change quickly, often becoming unhappy or angry without a clear reason. -
C1
empathy
The ability to understand and share another person’s feelings. -
B1
grateful
Feeling or showing thanks because someone has helped you or given you something. -
C1
sentimental
Connected with feelings of love or memories, often about the past.