Synonyms

misgiving

American

[mis-giv-ing] / mɪsˈgɪv ɪŋ /

noun

Often misgivings. a feeling of doubt, distrust, or apprehension.

Synonyms:

hesitation, mistrust, suspicion

misgiving British

/ mɪsˈɡɪvɪŋ /

noun

(often plural) a feeling of uncertainty, apprehension, or doubt

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See apprehension.

Other Word Forms

misgivingly adverb
unmisgiving adjective
unmisgivingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of misgiving

First recorded in 1595–1605; misgive + -ing ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Most of the drivers have misgivings on one level or another.

From BBC

Mr. Purvis says he “never talked about his misgivings,” but admits he wondered what “the extra half billion” was for.

From The Wall Street Journal

Their misgivings matter because Janus has a key threshold requiring at least 75% of clients to consent to any deal.

From The Wall Street Journal

Further disruptions on the other side of the world could offset a lot of misgivings about Venezuela, though.

From Barron's

Given their poor league position, there are understood to be misgivings internally with regards to Edu's performance.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023