qualm
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.
Origin of qualm
1Words Nearby qualm
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use qualm in a sentence
As a result, traffic control has risen close to the top when it comes to citizens’ qualms with city services.
Lemon Grove Once Again Facing Bitter Choices Over Its Future | Bella Ross | January 8, 2021 | Voice of San DiegoYou are right about the danger of posting qualms about a child, but the damage is done.
Miss Manners: New mom’s posts might be hurtful, but butt out | Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin, Jacobina Martin | January 1, 2021 | Washington PostBrooks has no qualms about playing rookies as his usage of last year’s No.
The Wizards’ Deni Avdija is an old pro at being a rookie | Ava Wallace | December 10, 2020 | Washington PostTrustify publicly acknowledged jumping on material hacked and leaked from dating websites without ethical qualms.
He promised ‘Uber for private investigators.’ It was a scam. | Rachel Weiner | December 4, 2020 | Washington PostSince then, those qualms have been compounded by fears of persistent disinformation campaigns and the growing threat of deep fake video ads.
‘Wouldn’t make economic sense’: Despite hyped targeting restrictions on 2020 political ads, few new limits are in place | jim cooper | October 12, 2020 | Digiday
Loewen proved to have one qualm that showed he was not a total monster.
Terry Lee Loewen, the Mellow Kansas Man Who Dreamed of Jihad | Michael Daly | December 16, 2013 | THE DAILY BEASTYet I admit to feeling a qualm when I hear this phrase, "moral defense."
Breitbart used those tools without qualm or regret, and he inspired a cohort of young conservative journalists to do likewise.
He sensed she could be coldly calculating; that neither qualm nor principle would keep her from furthering her own ends.
Warrior of the Dawn | Howard Carleton BrowneHe suffered no qualm of conscience, no revolt of personal honor, no spasm of sympathy or pity.
Sevenoaks | J. G. HollandHer mind never suffered the slightest misgiving, her conscience the least qualm.
Court Beauties of Old Whitehall | W. R. H. TrowbridgeVal was conscious of something like a qualm at not having thought about the East, or even the opera, for days.
The Open Question | Elizabeth RobinsHence none felt any qualm as to the strong measures to be adopted towards the hostile sharer of the secret.
Aletta | Bertram Mitford
British Dictionary definitions for qualm
/ (kwɑːm) /
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
Origin of qualm
1Derived forms of qualm
- qualmish, adjective
- qualmishly, adverb
- qualmishness, noun
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
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