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Guilt vs Despair - What's the difference?

guilt | despair |

As nouns the difference between guilt and despair

is that guilt is responsibility for wrongdoing while despair is loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.

As verbs the difference between guilt and despair

is that guilt is to commit offenses; act criminally while despair is to give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of.

guilt

English

(wikipedia guilt)

Etymology 1

From (etyl) gilt, gult, from (etyl) . See (l).

Noun

(-)
  • Responsibility for wrongdoing.
  • Awareness of having done wrong.
  • The fact of having done wrong.
  • (legal) The state of having been found guilty or admitted guilt in legal proceedings.
  • Antonyms
    * innocence
    Derived terms
    * beguilt * guiltless * guiltlessness * guilty * guilt-sick * guilt trip * unguilt
    See also
    * regret * remorse

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) gilten, gylten, from (etyl) .

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To commit offenses; act criminally.
  • To cause someone to feel guilt, particularly in order to influence their behaviour.
  • He didn't want to do it, but his wife guilted him into it.
  • * 1988 , , Healing the shame that binds you ,
  • Shame based parents would have guilted him for expressing anger.
  • * 1992 , , Codependent No More: how to stop controlling others and start caring for yourself ,
  • We don't have to be manipulated, guilted , coerced, or forced into anything.
  • * 1995 , , True Betrayals ,
  • But I won't be threatened or bribed or guilted into giving up something that's important to me.

    despair

    English

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • (obsolete) To give up as beyond hope or expectation; to despair of.
  • * Milton
  • I would not despair the greatest design that could be attempted.
  • (obsolete) To cause to despair.
  • To be hopeless; to have no hope; to give up all hope or expectation.
  • * Bible, 2 Corinthians i. 8
  • We despaired even of life.

    Noun

  • Loss of hope; utter hopelessness; complete despondency.
  • He turned around in despair , aware that he was not going to survive
  • That which is despaired of.
  • Synonyms

    * desperation * despondency * hopelessness

    Anagrams

    * aspired * diapers * praised