pe
nance
Plural
penances
1
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.
2
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:
3
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: