qualm

noun

Save Word

\ ˈkwäm

also ˈkwȯm or ˈkwälm

Definition of qualm

1 : a feeling of uneasiness about a point especially of conscience or propriety had no qualms about asking for their help It was about an enduring secular world where people did unspeakable things, seemingly without qualm and without any grave consequences to themselves.— Jim Holt

2 : a sudden feeling of usually disturbing emotion (such as doubt or fear) I had a qualm of absolute horror, and shuddered; and then the emotion was immediately repressed or suppressed.— Oliver Sacks

3 : a sudden attack of illness, faintness, or nausea The doctor seemed seized with a qualm of faintness.— Robert Louis Stevenson

Other Words from qualm Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Did you know? More Example Sentences Learn More About qualm

Choose the Right Synonym for qualm

qualm, scruple, compunction, demur mean a misgiving about what one is doing or going to do. qualm implies an uneasy fear that one is not following one's conscience or better judgment. no qualms about plagiarizing scruple implies doubt of the rightness of an act on grounds of principle. no scruples against buying stolen goods compunction implies a spontaneous feeling of responsibility or compassion for a potential victim. had compunctions about lying demur implies hesitation caused by objection to an outside suggestion or influence. accepted her decision without demur

Examples of qualm in a Sentence

He accepted their offer without a qualm. she has no qualms about downloading pirated music files from the Internet

Recent Examples on the Web My only qualm is that the pockets, which are very stretchy with large openings, are not very secure—my phone once fell dangerously close to a pee puddle. — Outside Online, 24 June 2021 His main qualm is with the $7,500 student loan cap workers can get to earn credentials in fields like logistics, construction and IT. — Casey Smith, chicagotribune.com, 28 Dec. 2021 Another qualm relates to the number of miles of driving on your neighborhood streets. — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2021 One qualm is that this can lead to RVs packed together like sardines. — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2021 Most folk, out-take Nack, reckoned the qualm was a tale the priests wrought up to wring out our silver. — Clair Wills, The New York Review of Books, 16 Jan. 2020 Yet another qualm is that people might misbehave while traveling inside a self-driving car. — Lance Eliot, Forbes, 26 May 2021 Our biggest qualm is with their design, which is, summed up in a word, noticeable. — Michael Andronico, CNN Underscored, 19 Mar. 2021 Stephen Colbert has a major qualm with Zack Snyder's Justice League, a.k.a. the Snyder Cut. — Nick Romano, EW.com, 23 Mar. 2021 See More

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