misgave
ˌmis-ˈgāv 
; misgiven
ˌmis-ˈgi-vən
; misgiving
; misgiven
ˌmis-ˈgi-vən
; misgiving
: to suggest doubt or fear to
… when they heard the name their minds misgave them. Maria … relieved their apprehension.—
Robertson Davies
Robertson Davies
: 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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Misgive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misgive. Accessed 8 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
misgive
verb
mis·give
(ˈ)mis-ˈgiv
: to suggest doubt or fear to
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