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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Much of the build-up to this tournament has centred on misgivings from within the European game, many of whom had questioned whether a further addition to a congested football calendar is either necessary or wanted. Adam Crafton, New York Times, 15 June 2025 His misgivings included a section requiring communities to divide housing need among towns and assign each town a number of units to plan and zone for. Mark Pazniokas, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2025 The summary of the May 6-7 meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee reflected ongoing misgivings about the direction of fiscal and trade policy, with officials ultimately deciding the best course was to keep rates steady. Jeff Cox, CNBC, 28 May 2025 The prevalence of those misgivings sets the stage for an uncomfortable, paradoxical summit in The Hague. Joel Gehrke, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for misgiving

Word History

First Known Use

1582, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misgiving was in 1582

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Cite this Entry

“Misgiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misgiving. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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