What does compunction mean?
Compunction refers to the uneasy feeling of guilt or moral hesitation that arises when we have done — or are tempted to do — something wrong. It is the inner voice that stings after a dishonest act or holds us back before one, making it closely tied to conscience and remorse. The word carries a formal, literary tone and appears most strikingly in negative phrases such as 'without compunction' or 'with no compunction', which describe someone acting ruthlessly, free of any guilty qualms. Derived from the Latin compungere, meaning to prick sharply or sting, compunction preserves the metaphor of conscience as a needle that pierces the wrongdoer. It remains a valuable word precisely because it names a subtle emotional state that simpler words like 'guilt' do not fully capture: not deep repentance, but the small, sharp pang of moral unease.
nounA feeling of guilt or moral scruple that follows or prevents an action considered wrong; a prick of conscience.
- A feeling of guilt, regret, or moral scruple over something one has done or is considering doing.
"Without a flicker of compunction, he took credit for the team's work."
"She felt a sudden compunction as she read the private letter she had intercepted."
"The con artist swindled elderly clients without the slightest compunction."
Rare; the word is almost always treated as uncountable or used in the singular ('a compunction'). Plural forms appear chiefly in older or formal writing to denote repeated scruples or misgivings.
"She ignored all her compunctions and signed the misleading contract."
Compunction literally means 'to be pricked' — it comes from Latin for the sting of a goad, so your guilty conscience is, etymologically speaking, a sharp poke.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of compunction
Compunction derives from the Latin verb compungere, meaning 'to prick sharply' or 'to sting', formed from com- (an intensifying prefix) plus punct-, the root of 'puncture'. In late antiquity the word took on a spiritual sense: church writers described sinners' consciences as being 'pricked' by compunction, a usage preserved in early Christian texts. English adopted the word in the Middle Ages via ecclesiastical Latin, initially with this religious sense of penitence, before it broadened by the early modern period to its modern secular meaning of a guilty scruple or misgiving. Its relatives include 'puncture', 'pungent', and 'expunge', all descended from the same Latin root.
Related word forms
How compunction is actually used
Formal to literary in register; rare in casual speech. Most often appears in negative constructions ('without compunction', 'no compunction') to emphasize ruthlessness. Usually uncountable, though 'a compunction' or plural 'compunctions' occurs occasionally.
Easily confused with compunction
Complacent means self-satisfied and unconcerned, whereas compunction is the uneasy guilt felt over wrongdoing — nearly opposite in spirit.