misgive

verb

mis·​give ˌmis-ˈgiv How to pronounce misgive (audio)
misgave ˌmis-ˈgāv How to pronounce misgive (audio) ; misgiven ˌmis-ˈgi-vən How to pronounce misgive (audio) ; misgiving

transitive verb

: to suggest doubt or fear to

intransitive verb

: to be fearful or apprehensive

Examples of misgive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Pompeo aired that misgiving about safety standards at Chinese labs while elaborating on President Trump’s frustration with the WHO. Joel Gehrke, Washington Examiner, 22 Apr. 2020 Not without a touch of misgiving, Edward heeds the advice of Alice and ventures into the unlocked house. Washington Post, 6 June 2019 But White House officials expressed increasing misgiving about the scandals surrounding the former Oklahoma attorney general. Louise Radnofsky, WSJ, 5 July 2018 An extraordinary painterly sensitivity expressed itself in the person of a young black male, the locus of terror and misgiving in a racist society. Stephen Metcalf, The Atlantic, 24 June 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'misgive.' 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

circa 1535, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of misgive was circa 1535

Dictionary Entries Near misgive

Cite this Entry

“Misgive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misgive. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

misgive

verb
mis·​give (ˈ)mis-ˈgiv How to pronounce misgive (audio)
misgave -ˈgāv How to pronounce misgive (audio) ; misgiven -ˈgiv-ən How to pronounce misgive (audio) ; misgiving
: to suggest doubt or fear to
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