scruples

Having scruples is kind of like having a conscience: your morals or scruples cause you to act in ways you think are right.

The idea of scruples has to do with ethics and morality: what is right and wrong. If you had no scruples at all, you'd just kill, steal, cheat, and do God knows what else. Scruples are a kind of moral compass that lets you know what's right. Often people use this word in an outraged way when someone does something bad: "Don't you have any scruples?" Liars, thieves, criminals, and politicians have fewer scruples than the rest of us.

Definitions of scruples

noun
motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions

synonyms: conscience, moral sense, sense of right and wrong

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types:
superego
(psychoanalysis) that part of the unconscious mind that acts as a conscience

small voice, voice of conscience, wee small voice
an inner voice that judges your behavior

sense of duty, sense of shame
a motivating awareness of ethical responsibility

type of:
ethical motive, ethics, morality, morals
motivation based on ideas of right and wrong