misgiving

noun

mis·​giv·​ing ˌmis-ˈgi-viŋ How to pronounce misgiving (audio)
: a feeling of doubt or suspicion especially concerning a future event
Many people have expressed misgivings about his ability to do the job.

Examples of misgiving in a Sentence

I felt some misgiving about his ability to do the job. They regarded the plan with misgiving.
Recent Examples on the Web And some of those unhappy with that debt ceiling deal also expressed misgivings about the latest package. Kevin Freking, Fortune, 21 Mar. 2024 Whatever his misgivings, Lillienfeld proceeded with a PowerPoint presentation. Harriet Ryan, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 That fall, Miguel Torres, a magistrate judge in El Paso, voiced his own misgivings in open court. Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2024 But synthetic media seems poised to act as an amplifier—a vehicle to exacerbate the misgivings, biases, and gut feelings of anyone with an internet connection. Charlie Warzel, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2024 Before the invasion, Kirill falsely cast Russian troops as defenders of the fatherland and aimed to dispel moral misgivings. Nina Shea, National Review, 24 Jan. 2024 In a series of internal chats, Albertsons executives expressed misgivings about the promises of grocery prices going down after the merger and the legality of combining of the two companies, according to court documents. The Enquirer, 3 Mar. 2024 But voters are approaching this year's election with misgivings about Mr. Biden's age, having scrutinized his gaffes, his coughing, his slow walking and even a tumble off his bicycle. CBS News, 28 Feb. 2024 This chronological gap between event and consequence has undoubtedly made the public less likely to shoulder any misgivings about tuning in to Monday Night Football. Adina Wise, STAT, 9 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misgiving.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misgiving was in 1582

Dictionary Entries Near misgiving

Cite this Entry

“Misgiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misgiving. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

misgiving

noun
mis·​giv·​ing (ˈ)mis-ˈgiv-iŋ How to pronounce misgiving (audio)
: a feeling of doubt or suspicion especially concerning a future event

More from Merriam-Webster on misgiving

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