guilt trip
7 synonyms and 0 antonyms for guilt trip, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A deliberate attempt to make someone feel bad about themselves so that they will do what you want.
Synonyms
Everyday swaps
Common words most readers know — safe in any writing.
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. 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.”
2. 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.”
How to Use Guilt Trip
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
Informal but widely used, including in journalism and psychology writing.
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.