Adjacent Words

Remorse definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

REMORSE, n. remors'. [L. remorsus, from remordeo.]
1. The keen pain or anguish excited by a sense of guilt; compunction of conscience for a crime committed.
2. Sympathetic sorrow; pity; compassion.
Curse on th' unpard'ning prince, whom tears can draw to no remorse.
[This sense is nearly or quite obsolete.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a feeling of deep regret (usually for some misdeed) [syn: compunction, remorse, self-reproach]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French remors, from Medieval Latin remorsus, from Late Latin, act of biting again, from Latin remord?re to bite again, from re- + mord?re to bite — more at mordant Date: 14th century 1. a gnawing distress arising from a sense of guilt for past wrongs ; self-reproach 2. obsolete compassion Synonyms: see penitence

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 deep regret for a wrong committed. 2 compunction; a compassionate reluctance to inflict pain ( esp. in without remorse). Etymology: ME f. OF remors f. med.L remorsus f. L remordere remors- vex (as RE-, mordere bite)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Remorse Re*morse" (r?*m?rs"), n. [OE. remors, OF. remors,F. remords, LL. remorsus, fr. L. remordere, remorsum, to bite again or back, to torment; pref. re- re- + mordere to bite. See Morsel.] 1. The anguish, like gnawing pain, excited by a sense of guilt; compunction of conscience for a crime committed, or for the sins of one's past life. ``Nero will be tainted with remorse.'' --Shak. 2. Sympathetic sorrow; pity; compassion. Curse on the unpardoning prince, whom tears can draw To no remorse. --Dryden. But evermore it seem'd an easier thing At once without remorse to strike her dead. --Tennyson. Syn: Compunction; regret; anguish; grief; compassion. See Compunction.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

Remorse is a strong feeling of sadness and regret about something wrong that you have done. He was full of remorse...

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. Penitence, compunction, contrition, repentance, sorrow, regret, self-reproach, reproach of conscience, stings of conscience, self-condemnation.

Moby Thesaurus

anxiety, apologies, attrition, ayenbite of inwit, bitterness, compunction, contriteness, contrition, embarrassment, grief, guilt, guilty conscience, humiliation, mortification, pangs of conscience, penance, penitence, penitently, regret, regretfulness, regrets, regretting, remorse of conscience, remorsefulness, repentance, repining, rue, ruefulness, self-reproach, shame, shamefacedness, shamefastness, shamefulness, sorriness, sorrow, wistfulness, woe