Pick the formal, emphatic, semi-common word "compunction"—instead of "guilt," "shame," "remorse," or "regret"—when you want to call a bit of extra attention to your sentence, and maybe even sound a little lofty or indignant. It can describe the guilt that someone feels over any kind of misdeed, from slight rudeness to mass murder.

But if you're looking for a word that connotes a kind of religious guilt, pick "contrition" or "penitence" instead.

We most often use "compunction" in a negative sense, pointing out someone's lack of compunction, and we most often treat the noun as uncountable: "She stole from them, and had no compunction whatsoever." "Apparently they felt no compunction in lying to us." "He eavesdropped on our conversation, with no sense of compunction." Here's the New York Times: "Tommy displays the classic contradictions of the gangster antihero — a family man who murders without compunction."

More specifically, we can use this word to defend, justify, or contextualize our own bad behavior. "When it's a salesperson, I have no compunction about ignoring the doorbell." Here's one of the narrators in Dracula: "The instant the door had closed behind him, I leaned over and looked at the letters, which were face down on the table. I felt no compunction in doing so, for under the circumstances I felt that I should protect myself in every way I could." I'd violate a vampire's privacy with no compunction, too. How 'bout you?

Sometimes we do use "compunction" in a positive sense, and sometimes we treat it as a countable noun: "Yes, I have compunctions about keeping this a secret;" "In fact, they did feel compunctions about starting the fight." 

"Exceptional dinosaur growth rates were a survival strategy, and, given that T. rex had no compunction about consuming its own kind, likely true for the tyrant king, too."
   — Riley Black, Scientific American, 27 March 2019

"[Antonio Brown] has a penchant for making things public that should otherwise stay private, without the slightest compunction. Whether that means an Instagram post of a letter from the Raiders saying he would be fined nearly $54,000 for missing practices or... releasing a YouTube video containing snippets of a phone call with his Raiders Coach Jon Gruden, Brown appears to relish defying the football standard for propriety."
   — Ben Shpigel, New York Times, 11 September 2019

has this page helped you understand "compunction"?

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Thanks for letting me know!
If you have any questions about this word, please message me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com.

study it:

Explain the meaning of "compunction" without saying "stab of conscience" or "scruple."

try it out:

Fill in the blanks: "(Someone) felt no compunction in (doing something rude or wrong)."

Example: "He had felt no compunction about quite openly carrying away objects of greater value which he found unattended."
   — Donna Tartt, The Secret History, 1992

If you like, use this space to write. (To save your work, copy and paste it into an email or a document.)

before you review, play:

Try to spend 20 seconds or more on the game below. Don’t skip straight to the review—first, let your working memory empty out.

Our game this month is "The Words are Hard, the Titles are Silly, and the Points Don't Matter!"

In each issue, try matching a given term to a silly title. For example, match the term “desultory” to the video game title “If It Moves, Shoot It!” because desultory methods are random, disorganized, and unmethodical. 

If you need a definition for a term, give it a click. Scroll all the way down to see my suggested matches. Give yourself a point for each match you make that matches my match! And give yourself two points for any match that mismatches mine, as long as you can make up some reason for your match, no matter how half-baked.

Try this last set today:

Terms:
     A. manifold
     B. niche
     C. vainglory

Titles of academic papers:

     1. Fantastic yeasts and where to find them: the hidden diversity of dimorphic fungal pathogens

     2. You Probably Think This Paper's About You: Narcissists' Perceptions of Their Personality and Reputation

     3. Snakes on a Spaceship--An Overview of Python in Heliophysics

review this word:

1. The approximate opposite of COMPUNCTION is

A. EGO.
B. PRIDE.
C. CUNNING.

2. On the show Severance, something known as a "compunction statement" begins like this: "_____."

A. Our job is to taste free air.
B. I am certain you will remain with me in spirit.
C. Forgive me for the harm I have caused this world.

Answers to the review questions: 1. B 2. C Suggested matches for the game: A. manifold & Fantastic yeasts and where to find them: the hidden diversity of dimorphic fungal pathogens B. niche & Snakes on a Spaceship--An Overview of Python in Heliophysics C. vainglory & You Probably Think This Paper's About You: Narcissists' Perceptions of Their Personality and Reputation

a final word:

I hope you're enjoying Make Your Point. It's made with love. I'm Liesl Johnson, a reading and writing tutor on a mission to explore, illuminate, and celebrate words. From my blog: On vocabulary...       36 ways to study words.       Why we forget words, & how to remember them.       How to use sophisticated words without being awkward. On writing...       How to improve any sentence.       How to motivate our kids to write.       How to stop procrastinating and start writing.       How to bulk up your writing when you have to meet a word count. From my heart: a profound thanks to the generous patrons, donors, and sponsors that make it possible for me to write these emails. If you'd like to be a patron or a donor, please click here. If you'd like to be a sponsor and include your ad in an issue, please contact me at Liesl@HiloTutor.com. A disclaimer: When I write definitions, I use plain language and stick to the words' common, useful applications. If you're interested in authoritative and multiple definitions of words, I encourage you to check a dictionary. Also, because I'm American, I stick to American English when I share words' meanings, usage, and pronunciations; these elements sometimes vary across world Englishes.