misgiving

noun mis·giv·ing \ -ˈgi-viŋ \

Updated on: 21 Apr 2018

Definition of misgiving

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

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

See misgiving defined for English-language learners

See misgiving defined for kids

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 of misgiving from the Web

After Boris Johnson, Britain’s foreign secretary, got embroiled in a row over where the evidence came from, the misgivings spread.

— The Economist, "Conspiracy theories from, and about, Russia," 14 Apr. 2018
And contrary to the impression left by the memo, three of the experts cited have serious misgivings about adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census.

— jeffrey mervis, Science | AAAS, "Trump officials claim they can avoid 2020 census problems caused by controversial citizenship question. Experts are very skeptical," 13 Apr. 2018
Some viewers on the left have expressed misgivings about supporting the show.

— john koblin, New York Times, "‘Roseanne’ Mania Cools Slightly in Show’s Second Week," 4 Apr. 2018
Even some technology groups that are contending directly with Chinese competition expressed misgivings.

— paul wiseman, chicagotribune.com, "U.S. proposes tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports," 3 Apr. 2018
Last year, when a series of former Facebook executives came forward to reveal misgivings about the world that social media had created, few names resonated more loudly than Justin Rosenstein’s.

— casey newton, The Verge, "The person behind the Like button says software is wasting our time," 28 Mar. 2018
Carmel 'played our hearts out': Greyhounds see title slip away in Class 4A loss to Warren Central Brainard persuaded the City Council, despite misgivings from some members, to approve $18 million in bonds for construction late last year.

— chris sikich, Indianapolis Star, "Carmel's financing, ownership, of $40 million luxury hotel creates the opportunity for risk or reward," 25 Mar. 2018
As American Media and Davidson pushed her to sign the deal Aug. 5, McDougal expressed misgivings.

— new york times, BostonGlobe.com, "Ex-Playboy model sues to break silence on Trump," 20 Mar. 2018
As American Media and Davidson pushed her to sign the deal Aug. 5, McDougal expressed misgivings.

— author: jim rutenberg, Anchorage Daily News, "Ex-Playboy model sues to break silence on Trump relationship," 20 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'misgiving.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of misgiving

1582

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misgiving Synonyms

MISGIVING Defined for English Language Learners

misgiving

noun

Definition of misgiving for English Language Learners

: a feeling of doubt about something : a feeling that something might not be right or might not work as planned

MISGIVING Defined for Kids

misgiving

noun mis·giv·ing \ mis-ˈgi-viŋ \

Definition of misgiving for Students

: a feeling of distrust or doubt especially about what is going to happen

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See words that rhyme with misgiving Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for misgiving Spanish Central: Translation of misgiving Nglish: Translation of misgiving for Spanish speakers

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MISGIVING Defined for English Language Learners

misgiving

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misgiving

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