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.

But I had no such misgiving at the Ahmanson, whether because of some slight editing or perhaps just a smoother handling of the setup moments.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2025

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

Her biggest misgiving is the hoodie-wearing persona that might appeal to the working class.

From New York Times • Oct. 30, 2022

McHugh said his only misgiving would be if the primary motivation by TB12 is to “create revenue streams for the company, as opposed to getting kids more engaged in physical education.”

From Washington Post • Sep. 23, 2022

Watching Prudence scurry off toward home, Kit had a moment’s misgiving.

From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare

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