a guilt trip

guilt trip

1. noun A deep feeling of guilt or remorse. I'm having a guilt trip for not being able to attend my sister's wedding.
2. verb To make others feel guilty, especially in an attempt to manipulate them. Kelly's parents were always trying to guilt trip her for not giving them grandchildren. You can't guilt trip me into donating money, I give enough to charity already.
See also: guilt, trip

a ˈguilt trip

(informal) things you say to somebody in order to make them feel guilty about something: Don’t lay a guilt trip on your child about schoolwork.
See also: guilt, trip
References in periodicals archive ?
com)-- Most of us like to travel, but nobody likes being taken on a guilt trip.
Love) wrote an article for Psychology Today entitled How to Not Get Taken on a Guilt Trip.
How to Not Get Taken on a Guilt Trip
I really resent the fact that you're putting a guilt trip on the pensioners who are getting their long-awaited free travel.
Vent your spleen
At any rate, I simply don't want to bah-humbug anybody's good time this Christmas season, neither do I feel right about laying a guilt trip on people about the things they buy for each other.
Hang your stockings with care
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