Remorsefulness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A profound sense of regret or guilt regarding one's past actions or decisions leading to sorrow for harm done to others
2. An intense feeling of guilt or sorrow for actions taken that caused harm to others, often prompting deep self-reflection
3. A strong feeling of sorrow or guilt that arises from recognizing harmful actions done in the past

Etymology: "Remorsefulness" is a plain English formation: the adjective "remorseful" with the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun naming a state or quality. "Remorseful" itself is built from "remorse" plus "-ful," meaning full of or characterized by. So the word names the quality of being full of remorse. The underlying noun "remorse" came into English from Old French "remors," which traces back to medieval Latin "remorsus," from Latin "remordere," literally "to bite again." That image of something gnawing at the conscience lies at the heart of the word's family. Because the suffix "-ness" is productive, English speakers could generate "remorsefulness" whenever they wanted to refer to this quality as a thing in itself, rather than to a single act of regret.

Synonyms: contrition, guilt

Antonyms: indifference, apathy