compunctious

English

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compunctious

Where it comes from

From the stem of compunction + -ous; compare factious. Apparently taken up in modern use from Macbeth by William Shakespeare (see quotation).

adjective more compunctious · most compunctious · compunctuous

Exhibiting compunctions, scruples, feelings of guilt. Come you Spirits, That tend on mortall thoughts, vnſex me here, And fill me from the Crowne to the Toe, top-full Of direſt Crueltie: make thick my blood, Stop vp th’acceſſe, and paſſage to Remorſe, That no compunctious viſitings of Nature Shake my fell purpoſe, nor keepe peace betweene Th’effect, an

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MLA

"compunctious." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/compunctious. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

compunctious. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/compunctious

Chicago

"compunctious." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/compunctious.

BibTeX

@misc{compunctious_2026,
  title = {compunctious},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/compunctious},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}