Guiltier

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. A state of being more culpable or responsible for a wrongdoing | An increased feeling of remorse or regret over one's actions compared to others | A heightened condition of ethical failure or moral fault, suggesting greater blameworthiness
2. An enhanced degree of accountability for an offense indicates a stronger sense of remorse associated with one's conduct and suggests deeper moral failing than others may have
3. A more intense feeling of responsibility for a misdeed reflects a greater level of regret related to actions taken and implies a more significant ethical lapse compared to peers

Etymology: The adjective form you’re asking about, a comparative of "guilty," traces its origins back to the Old English word "gyltig," which meant "offending, sinful, or culpable." This Old English term itself comes from "gylt," meaning "offense" or "crime." The root reflects a sense of wrongdoing or moral fault, and it has persisted with remarkably consistent meaning into modern English. The suffix "-ier" in the comparative form is a common English morphological pattern used to indicate a higher degree of an adjective’s quality—in this case, an increased degree of guilt. This suffix was added directly to the base adjective "guilty," which itself entered English around the late Middle Ages, likely through Old French influence from the Latin "culpabilis," meaning "blameworthy." The evolution of the word’s meaning has remained stable over centuries, always conveying a sense of responsibility for a fault or crime. Its comparative form simply serves to express varying degrees of this culpability, as in someone being "more guilty" than another. In sum, this comparative form grew naturally from a base adjective with deep roots in Old English and Latin-derived moral vocabulary, shaped by standard English comparative construction. It reflects the enduring human concern with accountability and wrongdoing.

Synonyms: more culpable, more blameworthy

Antonyms: innocent, blameless