Compunction
/kəmˈpʌŋk.ʃən/noun
A feeling of guilt or moral unease that makes someone hesitate or feel remorse.
Did you know?Compunction comes from Latin compungere, meaning “to prick hard” or “stab all over,” and the moral sense grew from the idea of a conscience that stings you from the inside.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
compungere
“to prick hard, stab, or pierce repeatedly”
Late Latin
Latin
compunctio
“a pricking or stabbing; later, a sting of conscience”
Old French
Old French
compunction
“remorse, qualm, pricking of conscience”
14th Century
English
compunction
“a painful feeling of guilt or regret”
Modern English
English
compunction
“moral unease or hesitation caused by guilt”