penance

1 of 1noun

/ˈpɛnəns/

Forms:penances

a punishment imposed by a priest or oneself in order to express regret for the sins committed

The priest gave him a penance of praying the rosary daily for a month.
She performed penance by fasting and donating to the poor.
In medieval times, pilgrims undertook penance by walking barefoot to holy sites.
His public apology was a form of penance for his mistakes.
The ritual required penance through silence and reflection.

a feeling of regret for one's past actions

She felt deep penance for betraying her friend's trust and wanted to make amends.
His penance was evident in the way he tried to rectify his past actions through selfless deeds.
She was overwhelmed by a deep penance, constantly regretting the hurt she had caused.
The feeling of penance lingered with him, as he replayed his actions in his mind over and over.
The feeling of penance was so strong that he could hardly bear to face those he had wronged.

Synonyms:

voluntary suffering or inconvenience accepted as an apology or to make amends

As penance for his mistake, he volunteered at the shelter every weekend for a month.
He viewed his long hours of community service as penance for the harm he had caused.
The CEO's pay cut was a public penance for the company's scandal.
He wore a ridiculous hat as penance for losing the bet.
His penance for the wrong he had done involved writing letters of apology to those he hurt.

Synonyms: