qualm
Americannoun
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an uneasy feeling or pang of conscience as to conduct; compunction.
He has no qualms about lying.
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a sudden feeling of apprehensive uneasiness; misgiving.
a sudden qualm about the success of the venture.
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a sudden sensation or onset of faintness or illness, especially of nausea.
noun
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a sudden feeling of sickness or nausea
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a pang or sudden feeling of doubt, esp concerning moral conduct; scruple
-
a sudden sensation of misgiving or unease
Other Word Forms
- qualmish adjective
- qualmishly adverb
- qualmishness noun
Etymology
Origin of qualm
First recorded in 1520–30; origin uncertain
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.
He continued to ponder the state of schooling, expressing qualms about reducing education to numbers on standardized tests.
From Los Angeles Times
My only qualm here was the edges of the filmed footage have been sharpened away by gleamingly untroubled animation.
From Los Angeles Times
Michigan wasn’t the only school expressing qualms over the deal.
England back row Ben Earl says he would have no qualms about starting a Test match in the centres after being touted for a possible switch into the backline.
From BBC
“I have no qualms in recommending that you fire an adviser that gives bad advice,” he says.
From MarketWatch
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.
