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.

Despite their misgiving, both Lancaster and Wilson publicly urged their colleagues to ratify the tentative agreement, saying that rejecting it wouldn’t lead to better outcomes.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 29, 2023

And it was my primary misgiving about the entire project, right?

From Salon • May 29, 2022

The man, identified as Juror 20, was seated on the jury despite one misgiving: He was supposed to get married on May 1 in Florida, when deliberations could still be taking place.

From New York Times • Mar. 10, 2021

Not long after, Bollard wrote a follow-up report on that funding, and he expressed one misgiving.

From Washington Post • Aug. 6, 2016

But even as she said the words, a thread of misgiving wrapped around her rib cage and squeezed tight.

From "Aru Shah and the End of Time" by Roshani Chokshi

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