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qualm
[ kwahm, kwawm ]
/ kwɑm, kwɔm /
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noun
an uneasy feeling or pang of conscience as to conduct; compunction: He has no qualms about lying.
a sudden feeling of apprehensive uneasiness; misgiving: a sudden qualm about the success of the venture.
a sudden sensation or onset of faintness or illness, especially of nausea.
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Origin of qualm
First recorded in 1520–30; origin uncertain
Words nearby qualm
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use qualm in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for qualm
qualm
/ (kwɑːm) /
noun
a sudden feeling of sickness or nausea
a pang or sudden feeling of doubt, esp concerning moral conduct; scruple
a sudden sensation of misgiving or unease
Derived forms of qualm
qualmish, adjectivequalmishly, adverbqualmishness, nounWord Origin for qualm
Old English cwealm death or plague; related to Old High German qualm despair, Dutch kwalm smoke, stench
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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