- prick conscience
- prick (someone's) conscience
to make someone feel guilty.
Seeing pictures of starving children pricks my conscience, but I rarely give money to charity.
New idioms dictionary. 2014.
prick conscience
Look at other dictionaries:
Prick — Prick, n. [AS. prica, pricca, pricu; akin to LG. prick, pricke, D. prik, Dan. prik, prikke, Sw. prick. Cf. {Prick}, v.] 1. That which pricks, penetrates, or punctures; a sharp and slender thing; a pointed instrument; a goad; a spur, etc.; a… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
prick your conscience — prick your ˈconscience | your ˈconscience pricks you idiom to make you feel guilty about sth; to feel guilty about sth • Her conscience pricked her as she lied to her sister. Main entry: ↑prickidiom … Useful english dictionary
prick someone's conscience — prick (someone s) conscience to make someone feel guilty. Seeing pictures of starving children pricks my conscience, but I rarely give money to charity … New idioms dictionary
prick — [prik] n. [ME prike < OE prica, point, dot, akin to Du prik, MHG pfrecken] 1. a very small puncture or, formerly, dot, made by a sharp point 2. Archaic any of various pointed objects, as a thorn, goad, etc. 3. PRICKING 4. a sharp pain caused… … English World dictionary
prick — prick1 [prık] v 1.) [T] to make a small hole in something using something sharp ▪ Prick the sausages before you grill them. prick yourself/prick your finger (=accidentally make a hole in your skin) ▪ She had pricked her finger on a rose thorn.… … Dictionary of contemporary English
conscience — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ clean (esp. AmE), clear, easy, good ▪ How can you do your job with a clean conscience? ▪ I have a clear conscience. ▪ … Collocations dictionary
prick — 1 verb 1 (T) to make a small hole in something, using a sharp point: Prick the pastry lightly with a fork. | prick yourself/prick your finger: Ouch! I ve pricked my finger with the needle. 2 (I, T) to feel an unpleasant stinging feeling on your… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
prick — 1. verb 1) prick the potatoes with a fork Syn: pierce, puncture, make/put a hole in, stab, perforate, nick, jab 2) her conscience pricked her Syn: trouble, worry, distress, perturb … Thesaurus of popular words
prick — [[t]prɪ̱k[/t]] pricks, pricking, pricked 1) VERB If you prick something or prick holes in it, you make small holes in it with a sharp object such as a pin. [V n] Prick the potatoes and rub the skins with salt... [V n prep] He pricks holes in the… … English dictionary
prick — I UK [prɪk] / US verb Word forms prick : present tense I/you/we/they prick he/she/it pricks present participle pricking past tense pricked past participle pricked 1) [transitive] to make a very small hole in the surface of something with a sharp… … English dictionary
