compunction

C2+ Topic:Emotions & Feelings

US /kəmˈpʌŋkʃən/ UK /kəmˈpʌŋkʃən/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
a feeling of guilt or moral scruple that deters wrongdoing

He lied without the slightest compunction.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · a feeling of guilt or moral... remorse regret contrition qualm scruple misgiving guilt

Opposites

indifference callousness shamelessness

Word family

Derived forms compunctious

Related forms puncture punctualcompunctious

Etymology

From Old French componction, from Late Latin compunctionem ('a pricking of conscience'), from Latin compungere ('to prick severely, sting'), from com- (intensive) + pungere ('to prick').

compungere Latin pungere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Emotions & Feelings Ethics & Social Judgment Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# compunction

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /kəmˈpʌŋkʃən/
**IPA (UK):** /kəmˈpʌŋkʃən/

## Meanings
1. a feeling of guilt or moral scruple that deters wrongdoing

## Examples
- He lied without the slightest compunction.

## Synonyms
- remorse
- regret
- contrition
- qualm
- scruple
- misgiving
- guilt

## Antonyms
- indifference
- callousness
- shamelessness

## Derived Forms
- compunctious

## Related Forms
- puncture
- punctual
- compunctious

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: compungere
- Root: pungere

## Etymology
From Old French componction, from Late Latin compunctionem ('a pricking of conscience'), from Latin compungere ('to prick severely, sting'), from com- (intensive) + pungere ('to prick').

## AI Etymology
Compunction is from Old French componction, from Late Latin compunctionem ('a pricking of conscience'), from Latin compungere ('to prick severely, sting'), from com- (intensive) + pungere ('to prick'). Important recorded forms include compungere (Latin) and pungere (Latin). Morphologically, the word is a built form whose named elements carry part of the historical sense. The current sense covers a feeling of guilt or moral scruple that deters wrongdoing. The wider family includes derived forms such as compunctious and related words such as puncture, punctual, and compunctious.

## Topics
- Emotions & Feelings
- Ethics & Social Judgment
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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