# compunction

> English word · Noun · IPA /kəmˈpʌŋk.ʃən/ · frequency rank #75,749

## Definitions
1. A pricking of conscience or a feeling of regret, especially one which is slight or fleeting.

## Etymology
From Middle English compunccion, borrowed from Old French compunction, from Late Latin compunctionem (“a pricking”), from Latin compunctus, the past participle of compungere (“to severely prick”), from com- + pungere (“to prick”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/compunction