misgiving

noun

mis·​giv·​ing ˌmis-ˈgi-viŋ 

: a feeling of doubt or suspicion especially concerning a future event

Many people have expressed misgivings about his ability to do the job.

Synonyms

• distrust
• distrustfulness
• doubt
• dubiety
• dubitation [archaic]
• incertitude
• misdoubt
• mistrust
• mistrustfulness
• query
• reservation
• skepticism
• suspicion
• uncertainty

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

He is expected to cruise to Senate confirmation, like Trump’s other nominees, despite the misgivings of some Republicans who are leery of his affiliation with Project 2025, the conservative policy playbook that became a magnet for controversy during last year’s election. —Alexander Bolton, The Hill, 16 Jan. 2025

The political appeal of bringing down the price of the wildly popular drugs and other medicines for seniors could outweigh deep misgivings in Republican circles about one of Democrats' most significant health policy achievements. —Maya Goldman, Axios, 8 Jan. 2025

Most American concerns reflect general opposition to nuclear proliferation rather than specific misgivings about South Korea’s acquisition. —Robert E. Kelly, Foreign Affairs, 30 Dec. 2024

By the time the Guide came out under his editorship for the first time in 1997, terraces, at least in the top two divisions, had all but disappeared despite his initial misgivings. —Richard Sutcliffe, The Athletic, 26 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

misgiving

noun

mis·​giv·​ing (ˈ)mis-ˈgiv-iŋ 

: a feeling of doubt or suspicion especially concerning a future event