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Webster 1913 Edition


Remorse

Re-morse′

(r?-m?rs′)
,
Noun.
[OE.
remors
, OF.
remors
,F.
remords
, LL.
remorsus
, fr. L.
remordere
,
remorsum
, to bite again or back, to torment; pref.
re-
re- +
mordere
to bite. See
Morsel
.]
1.
The anguish, like gnawing pain, excited by a sense of guilt; compunction of conscience for a crime committed, or for the sins of one’s past life.
“Nero will be tainted with remorse.”
Shak.
2.
Sympathetic sorrow; pity; compassion.
Curse on the unpardoning prince, whom tears can draw
To no
remorse
.
Dryden.
But evermore it seem'd an easier thing
At once without
remorse
to strike her dead.
Tennyson.
Syn. – Compunction; regret; anguish; grief; compassion. See
Compunction
.

Webster 1828 Edition


Remorse

REMORSE

,
Noun.
remors'. [L. remorsus, from remordeo.]
1.
The keen pain or anguish excited by a sense of guilt; compunction of conscience for a crime committed.
2.
Sympathetic sorrow; pity; compassion.
Curse on th' unpard'ning prince, whom tears can draw to no remorse.
[This sense is nearly or quite obsolete.]

Definition 2024


remorse

remorse

English

Alternative forms

  • remorce (obsolete)

Noun

remorse (countable and uncountable, plural remorses)

  1. A feeling of regret or sadness for doing wrong or sinning.
    • 2011 December 14, Steven Morris, “Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave”, in Guardian:
      Jailing her on Wednesday, magistrate Liz Clyne told Robins: "You have shown little remorse either for the death of the kitten or the trauma to your former friend Sarah Knutton." She was also banned from keeping animals for 10 years.
    • 1897, Oscar Wilde, "De Profundis,"
      Failure, disgrace, poverty, sorrow, despair, suffering, tears even, the broken words that come from lips in pain, remorse that makes one walk on thorns, conscience that condemns . . . —all these were things of which I was afraid.
  2. (obsolete) Sorrow; pity; compassion.
    • 1597, William Shakespeare, King John, act 4, scene 3,
      This is the bloodiest shame,
      The wildest savagery, the vilest stroke,
      That ever wall-eyed wrath or staring rage
      Presented to the tears of soft remorse.

Synonyms

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Latin

Participle

remorse

  1. vocative masculine singular of remorsus