compunction.

A feeling of moral hesitation, regret, or concern about harming someone or acting wrongly.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• without compunction
• feel compunction

On the page

He sold the letters without compunction.

A moment of compunction made her delay before sealing the door.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary. Forms: Usually uncountable; plural compunctions for particular qualms. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.