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Guilt vs Pity - What's the difference?

guilt | pity |

In obsolete|lang=en terms the difference between guilt and pity

is that guilt is (obsolete) to commit offenses; act criminally while pity is (obsolete) piety.

In lang=en terms the difference between guilt and pity

is that guilt is to cause someone to feel guilt, particularly in order to influence their behaviour while pity is to feel pity for (someone or something).

As nouns the difference between guilt and pity

is that guilt is responsibility for wrongdoing while pity is (uncountable) a feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something.

As verbs the difference between guilt and pity

is that guilt is (obsolete) to commit offenses; act criminally while pity is to feel pity for (someone or something).

As an interjection pity is

short form of what a pity.

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.

    pity

    English

    Alternative forms

    * pitty (obsolete)

    Noun

  • (uncountable) A feeling of sympathy at the misfortune or suffering of someone or something.
  • * Bible, Proverbs xix. 17
    • He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the Lord.
  • * Shakespeare
    • Hehas no more pity in him than a dog.
  • *, Folio Society, 2006, p.5:
    • The most usuall way to appease those minds we have offendedis, by submission to move them to commiseration and pitty .
  • (countable) Something regrettable.
    • It's a pity you're feeling unwell because there's a party on tonight.
  • * Laurence Sterne
    • It was a thousand pities .
  • * Addison
    • What pity is it / That we can die but once to serve our country!
  • (obsolete) piety
    • (Wyclif)

    Synonyms

    * (mercy) ruth * (something regrettable) shame

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • To feel pity for (someone or something).
  • * Bible, Psalms ciii. 13
    • Like as a father pitieth' his children, so the Lord ' pitieth them that fear him.
  • * 1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , IV.11:
    • She lenger yet is like captiv'd to bee; / That even to thinke thereof it inly pitties mee.
  • * Book of Common Prayer
    • It pitieth them to see her in the dust.

    Interjection

  • Short form of what a pity.

    • Synonyms

    * shame, what a pity, what a shame

    Derived terms

    * piteous * pitiable * pitiful * self-pity * what a pity ----