compunction means A pricking of conscience or a feeling of regret, especially one which is slight or fleeting. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 78 out of 100.
compunction is pronounced /kəmˈpʌŋk.ʃən/.
Why “compunction” is a great word
COMPUNCTION — [Noun] A slight, fleeting feeling of regret or unease arising from a pricking of conscience. From Middle English compunccion, from Old French compunction, from Late Latin compunctionem ("a pricking"), from Latin compunctus, past participle of compungere ("to prick hard"), from com- (intensive) + pungere ("to prick"). Unlike "remorse," which is a deep, abiding agony for a grave fault, or "scruple," a principled restraint before an act, compunction is the conscience's sharp but shallow puncture. It is the wince after a petty cruelty, the fleeting chill upon turning from a beggar's outstretched hand, or the faint metallic taste after a necessary lie—a ghost of conscience that proves the machinery still functions, however quietly.
noun
- A pricking of conscience or a feeling of regret, especially one which is slight or fleeting.“Besides, to do De Joinville justice, he felt, too, a degree of kindly compunction for the former harsh judgment entertained of one who so little deserved it; and—for there is no such thing in the human mind as an unmixed sensation—he was struck both with the spirit with which she resented, and the proud humility with which she forgave the affront.”