▪ I. remorse, n.
(rɪˈmɔːs)
Forms: 4–5 remors, (6 remorrs), 5–7 remorce, 4– remorse.
[a. OF. remors (mod.F. remords), ad. late L. remorsus, vbl. n. f. remordēre: see remord v.]
1. remorse of conscience (or mind) = next. Now somewhat rare and arch. † Also with pl. (cf. 2 b).
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus i. 554 Or hastow som remors of conscience..? 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) VII. 171 Þis pope.. havynge remorse of conscience þat he was somwhat put yn by þe emperoure lefte the popehede. 1483 Caxton Cato D j, He is euer in doubt and in remors of conscience. 1559 Sackville Induct. Mirr. Mag. xxxii, And first within the portche and iawes of Hell Sate diepe Remorse of conscience. 1600 E. Blount tr. Conestaggio 104 Onely for the remorse of his conscience, preferring the seruice of God before all other respects. 1670 G. H. tr. Hist. Cardinals ii. i. 110 Perhaps not without some scruples and remorses of Conscience. 1704 Lond. Gaz. No. 4029/2 One of these Lieutenants having a Remorse of Conscience, discovered the..Mater. 1729 Law Serious C. xxiii. 467 A man may..go on..without any remorse of mind, or true desire of amendment. 1808 Lempriere Univ. Biogr. s.v. Aunoy, One of his three accusers afterwards through remorse of conscience confessed the charge to be false. |
2. a. A feeling of compunction, or of deep regret and repentance, for a sin or wrong committed. Also const. at, for, † of (the thing done).
| c 1400 Destr. Troy 1698 Þan a sorow full sodenly sanke in his hert, A Remorce of maters, þat hym mys lyket. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. ccxxix. 260 By this monycion he toke remorce in his conscyence. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 173 Vndoubted theyr conscyence sholde haue remorse. 1577 T. Vautrollier Luther on Ep. Gal. 19 The hypocrites..although they feele the remorse of sinne [etc.]. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lxxii. §16 The fruit of our own ill-doing is remorse. 1641 Baker Chron. (1653) 97 The remorse for his undutifulnesse towards his Father, was living in him till he dyed. a 1656 Bp. Hall Rem. Wks. (1660) 162 Another teaches that there..is no hell but remorse. 1719 De Foe Crusoe i. (Globe) 89 When again I was shipwreck'd,..I was as far from Remorse, or looking on it as a Judgment. 1780 Cowper Progr. Err. 43 Pleasure brings as surely in her train Remorse and Sorrow and vindictive Pain. 1821 Shelley Fragment on Keats, Death, in remorse for that fell slaughter,..flew Athwart the stream. 1868 Browning Ring & Bk. iii. 180 We have her own confession at full length Made in the first remorse. |
† b. With a and pl. A fit of remorse. Obs.
| 1652 J. Wright tr. Camus' Nat. Paradox i. 17 To possess unjustly another's means with continuall Remorses and internall Reproaches. 1702 Eng. Theophrast. 123 Our repentances are generally not a remorse for the ills we have done. 1720 Mandeville Free Thoughts 126 So at one time or other they are troubled with Remorses. 1761 Hume Hist. Eng. II. xl. 399 His remorses gradually diminished. |
† c. ? Hesitation, scruple. Obs. rare—1.
| a 1529 Skelton Agst. Garnesche ii. 19 As wytles as a wylde goos, ye haue but small remorrs Me for to chalenge. |
† 3. a. Sorrow, pity, compassion; also pl. signs of tender feeling. Obs.
| a 1547 Surrey æneid iv. 574 This latter grace, Sister, I craue, haue thou remorse of me. 1568 Jacob & Esau v. iv, Well, nature pricketh me some remorse on thee to haue. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. iv. 6 The noble Guyon, mov'd with great remorse, Approching, first the Hag did thrust away. 1639 G. Daniel Ecclus. xii. 54 His Eyes shall be Stor'd w{supt}{suph} false tears, in remorse of thee. 1667 Milton P.L. v. 566 How shall I relate..without remorse The ruin of so many glorious once..? 1692 Dryden Cleomenes v. ii, Womanish sighs and tears, and kind adieus, And those ill-timed remorses of good nature. 1700 ― Pal. & Arc. ii. 345 Curse on th' unpard'ning Prince, whom Tears can draw To no Remorse: who rules by Lions Law. |
† b. remorse of equity, a disposition to relax the strict application of a law. Obs.
| 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. lx. §6 Remorse of equitie hath moued diuers of the school diuines..ingenuouslie to grant..that God all-merciful [etc.]. [1878 Patmore L' Allegro, Those gentle and unsanction'd lines To which remorse of equity Of old hath moved the School divines.] |
† c. without remorse, without mitigation or intermission. Obs.
| 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. Nov. 131 The heauens doe melt in teares without remorse. Ibid. 171. 1600 Shakes. Twel. N. ii. iii. 98 That ye squeak out your Coziers Catches without any mitigation or remorse of voice. |
† 4. a. Regretful or remorseful remembrance or recollection of a thing. Obs.
| a 1529 Skelton Knolege, aquayntance, etc. 29 Remorse haue I of youre most goodlyhod. 1570–6 Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 295 Sundry of the Noble men, partly upon remorse of their former promise made,..made defection to Maude. 1695 Temple Hist. Eng. (1699) 578 Either the Fame of his Forces..or Remorse of his Duty, prevail'd with Duke Robert to offer again his Submissions. |
† b. Consideration or regard to a matter, etc.
| 1514 in Strype Eccl. Mem. (1721) I. App. iv. 8 That it may please his Highness to have Consideration & Remors to this before rehearsed, in considering [etc.]. 1525 St. Papers Hen. VIII, VI. 416 The Kinges Highnes hauing most tendre remorce and respect unto the premisses [etc.]. |
† c. A solemn obligation. Obs. rare—1.
| 1604 Shakes. Oth. iii. iii. 369 Let him command, And to obey shall be in me remorse, What bloody businesse euer. |
† 5. A matter for regret; a pity. Obs. rare.
| 1548 Gest Pr. Masse in H. G. Dugdale Life (1840) App. i. 76 Is it not a deadely remorse to respect the worthy Clerkes in thys realme..and yet not one to wryte agaynste hyr? 1576 Humphrey in Strype Ann. Ref. (1709) I. xliii. 431 That it was a remorse to seem, by sundry apparel, to sunder himself from those brethren. |
† 6. Biting or cutting force. Obs. rare—1.
| 1596 Spenser F.Q. iv. ii. 15 Their speares with pitilesse remorse Through shield and mayle and haberjeon did wend. |
7. Comb., as remorse-smitten, remorse-stirred, remorse-stricken, remorse-stung adjs.
| 1777 E. Ryves Poems 60 'Tis not th' accumulated store Of sparkling gems..Can a remorse-stung mind appease. 1826 Scott Woodst. xiv. motto, Be it the working Of the remorse-stirr'd fancy. 1897 M. Kingsley W. Africa 514 Over the side the doctor went, to the horror of the remorse-smitten sea-captain. 1973 M. Amis Rachel Papers 56, I couldn't resist taking a certain fascinated pleasure in his remorse-stricken face. |
▪ II. † reˈmorse, v. Obs.
[f. remors-, ppl. stem of L. remordēre: see prec. and remord v.]
1. trans. To affect with remorse.
| 1483 Caxton Gold. Leg. 196 b/2 Her conscience remorsed hir and [she] fyl doun to hir feet in requyryng pardon. 1563 Foxe A. & M. 1703/1 Blaxton..fel in such a quake, & shaking (the conscience belyke remorsing him). 1593 Nashe Christ's T. (1613) 62 Now (dissemblingly remorsed) they would needs..set vp another [high priest]. |
2. intr. To feel remorse.
| 1530 Palsgr. 685/2, I have remorced more in my conscyence than all men knewe of. 1557 Tottel's Misc. (Arb.) 194 Your hart must nedes remorce of right To graunt me grace. 1690 Locke Hum. Und. i. iii. §9 They remorse in one place, for doing or omitting that which others, in another place, think they merit by. |
Hence † reˈmorsed ppl. a., of the nature of, affected by, remorse. Obs.
| a 1586 Sidney Arcadia iii. Wks. 1724 II. 691 Wrong stirs remorsed Grief. 1617 J. Moore Mappe Mans Mort. iii. viii. 235 They be reputed to come from a remorsed soule for sinne. 1649 Bp. Hall Cases Consc. iii. ix. 334 The soule of the remorsed draweth neare to the grave. |