Guilt trip
/ˈɡɪlt trɪp/
nounB2
Definition
A guilt trip means causing someone to feel guilty or responsible for something, often to make them act in a certain way. It usually happens when a person reminds another of something they did wrong or should have done, to make them feel bad and change their behavior.
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See It in Action
The act of making someone feel guilty to influence them
- •She gave me a guilt trip by reminding me I forgot her birthday.
- •Don’t try to give me a guilt trip just because I can’t come to your party.
- •Parents sometimes use guilt trips to make children do their homework.
The feeling of guilt caused by someone else’s words or actions
- •After his speech, I felt like I was on a guilt trip.
- •That comment put me on a guilt trip for the whole day.
Make It Stick
- ✓Think of "guilt trip" like "feeling sorry," but someone else makes you feel it on purpose to get something
- ✓Picture someone saying, "After all I did for you, you can't help me?" making you feel bad inside
- ✓It's the feeling when you want to say no, but you feel bad because of what the other person said
- ✓Sounds like "guilt" (feeling bad) + "trip" (a journey) → imagine going on a trip inside your mind where you feel guilty
- ✓Think of a story where a friend says, “If you really cared, you would come,” to make you feel guilty and change your plans
- ✓NOT like "apology" (you feel sorry yourself)—a guilt trip is when someone else makes you feel guilty
- ✓NOT like "punishment" (a direct penalty)—a guilt trip is more about feelings, not rules or laws
Try Other Words
- •Make someone feel guilty: to cause guilt feelings (Use when you want a clear, simple phrase)
- •Emotional pressure: using feelings to influence someone (Use when focusing on feelings and control)
- •Shame trip: similar meaning but stronger feeling of shame (Use when the feeling is more about embarrassment or shame than guilt)
Unboxing
- •Word parts: "guilt" (feeling bad for doing something wrong) + "trip" (a journey or movement)
- •Etymology: English phrase combining two common words; "trip" here means a mental or emotional journey
- •Historical development: Used from mid-20th century to describe emotional manipulation by making someone feel guilty
- •Modern usage: Commonly used in everyday speech to describe situations where someone tries to make another feel guilty for control or persuasion
Reflect & Connect
•How do you feel when someone tries to give you a guilt trip? Can it ever be helpful or only harmful?
•Can you think of times when you might have given someone a guilt trip without realizing it? Why do people do this?
Fill in the blanks
1.She gave me a guilt trip by ___ how much she helped me last year.
2.When someone uses a guilt trip, they want you to ___ your behavior or decision.
3.A guilt trip is different from an apology because it is caused by ___, not by feeling sorry yourself.
4.People often feel ___ after a guilt trip, even if they did nothing wrong.
5.Parents sometimes give children a guilt trip to make them ___ their chores.
6.Saying “If you loved me, you would…” is a common way to start a ___.
7.A guilt trip usually works by making someone feel ___ about their actions or choices.