misgiving
Americannoun
noun
Synonym Usage
See apprehension.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of misgiving
Explanation
If you have misgivings about something, it means you're worried that it's not a good idea. Trying to fall asleep the night before a test, you might have misgivings about having studied so little. Misgivings are feelings of doubt you experience about something before you do it. As you get closer to the time you actually get on the airplane, you might begin to have misgivings about traveling far away to go to college, or you might have misgivings about joining the army to pay for your education.
Vocabulary lists containing misgiving
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The Crucible
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A Raisin in the Sun
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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.
See Examples For:
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
And it was my primary misgiving about the entire project, right?
From Salon ● May 29, 2022
I had not used one before, and I entered with misgiving.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
But many women who have become first lady of California and the nation have expressed misgivings about taking on such a role.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
With five months to go before the general election, there’s plenty of time for Platner to soothe any misgivings and re-up his promise to fight for the Maine working class.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
Even some within the ATF had misgivings, worrying that the policy would strain the agency’s relations with law-abiding dealers and make them less likely to offer alerts on suspicious behavior by buyers.
From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026
For Alexander-Arnold to change Tuchel's mind at this late stage will not be easy, and his mixed display here may have confirmed misgivings about him rather than enhanced his prospects.
From BBC ● Apr. 7, 2026
Somewhere along the way, or perhaps a little earlier that day, Elizebeth admitted to William that she had misgivings.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
