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.

I had not used one before, and I entered with misgiving.

From Literature

Sarai felt a tremor of misgiving for having opened the door to her secret.

From Literature

Milo nodded with spurious vim to indicate he still understood and then sat silent, ruminating gravely with troubled misgiving.

From Literature

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

From Literature

Even one misgiving about what coven you were placed in could spell disaster—could prevent your coven from closing.

From Literature

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