noun

guilt trip

GILT trip

Guilt trip (noun) means a deliberate attempt to make someone feel bad about themselves so that they will do what you want. Example: “Every time I mention moving abroad, my mother lays on the guilt trip.”

noun

informal A deliberate attempt to make someone feel bad about themselves so that they will do what you want.

"Every time I mention moving abroad, my mother lays on the guilt trip."

"He booked the visit purely to avoid another guilt trip."

verb

informal To make someone feel guilty in order to pressure them into acting a certain way.

"Don't let them guilt trip you into working the weekend."

"She was guilt-tripped into donating twice."

How to Use Guilt trip

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishMaking someone feel bad so they will give in.

When to use it

Informal but widely used, including in journalism and psychology writing.

Memory tip

You lay a guilt trip on someone; the preposition is on, not to.

Easily confused with

guilt-tripping gaslighting →

Common pairings

lay a guilt trip on send someone on a guilt trip guilt-trip someone into

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Every time I mention moving abroad, my mother lays on the _____.

Synonyms

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emotional blackmail manipulation browbeating manipulate pressure shame browbeat

Related Words

control force pressure stress shame handling tension guilt

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a guilt trip a form of manipulation?

Yes, when it is aimed at someone else. It works by making a person feel responsible for the speaker's unhappiness so that agreeing feels like the only decent option. It is generally regarded as unhealthy in close relationships.

How do you spell it as a verb?

Both guilt trip and guilt-trip are accepted. The hyphen is more usual in verb forms, especially guilt-tripped and guilt-tripping.

What is the difference between a guilt trip and shaming?

Shaming attacks who a person is; a guilt trip targets what they did or failed to do. A guilt trip also usually has a request behind it, whereas shaming may simply be punishment.

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