Feeling or deserving guilt; characterized by or showing culpability for wrongdoing.
From 'guilt' (Old English 'gylt' meaning 'crime' or 'payment for a crime') plus '-ful.' The root likely comes from Germanic 'geld' meaning 'to pay,' since guilt required compensation.
While 'guilty' is common, 'guiltful' is a rarer, more intensified form that actually appears in older literature to suggest someone overflowing with guilt—a word modern English mostly abandoned in favor of 'guilty.'
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.