5
ruefulness(noun, worry, concern, distress, shame)
5
sadness(noun, distress, shame, sorrow, sympathy)
4
anguish(noun, worry, concern, distress, anxiety)
4
apology(noun, worry, concern, shame, disappointment)
4
confession(noun, forfeit, forgiveness, reparation, absolution)
4
humbling(noun, distress, shame, sorrow, degradation)
4
ruth(noun, distress, shame, sorrow, compassion)
4
self-punishment(noun, distress, shame, sorrow, woe)
3
breast-beating
3
debasement(noun, distress, shame, sorrow, degradation)
3
expiation(noun, woe, compensation, forfeit, forgiveness)
3
guilt(noun, shame, blame, sorrow, fault)
3
mortification(noun, forfeit, forgiveness, reparation, absolution)
3
penitency(noun, feeling, distress, shame, sorrow)
3
regretfulness(noun, worry, concern, shame, disappointment)
3
scruple(noun, upset, worry, concern, distress)
2
amends(noun, compensation, forfeit, reparation, self-punishment)
2
hair shirt(expression, forfeit, forgiveness, reparation, absolution)
2
heartache(noun, worry, concern, shame, anguish)
2
penalty(noun, forfeit, forgiveness, reparation, absolution)
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APASmart Define. (2015). penitence thesaurus. Retrieved September 24, 2026, from https://smartdefine.org/penitence/thesaurus/synonyms
ChicagoSmart Define. 2015. "penitence thesaurus" https://smartdefine.org/penitence/thesaurus/synonyms (accessed September 24, 2026).
HarvardSmart Define 2015, penitence thesaurus, Smart Define, viewed 24 September, 2026, <https://smartdefine.org/penitence/thesaurus/synonyms>.
MLASmart Define. "penitence thesaurus" 13 April 2015. Web. 24 September 2026. <https://smartdefine.org/penitence/thesaurus/synonyms>