compunctions

noun

plural of compunction
as in doubts
an uneasy feeling about the rightness of what one is doing or going to do throughout her school years she cheated without compunction

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of compunctions Johnson clearly felt no such compunctions. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 4 June 2026 Russia and Ukraine show no compunctions about killing the civilians of their enemy. — Oded J K Faran, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025 The boundaries of the world are delineated neatly by your compunctions. — Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compunctions
  1. doubts
  2. qualms
  3. objections
  4. scruples
  5. misgivings
Noun
  • But behind the pomp and ceremony of official Washington, the meeting will reveal two wary superpowers projecting their doubts and apprehensions onto the other.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Burry has doubts But Burry, the investor best known for his wager against the housing market before the financial crisis, sees reason for concern in Berkshire’s new era.
    — Yun Li, CNBC, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of doubts
Noun
  • One of our only qualms about these headphones was the hefty $359 asking price.
    — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 7 Aug. 2026
  • British publications have fewer qualms, generally, about mocking the dead.
    — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of qualms
Noun
  • His larger warning is about what happens when odor objections succeed in blocking reform altogether.
    — Peter Su, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • In response, Apple has reportedly been testing memory chips from China’s CXMT, an approach that could raise objections from the White House if Apple decided to move forward.
    — Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of objections
Noun
  • Hilton rejects the argument floated by some of his former colleagues that his scruples became a casualty of his ambition.
    — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Still, there are some smart, well-meaning voices of caution who warn Democrats against forgetting their scruples.
    — Clarence Page, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026
Definition of scruples
Noun
  • Even Ringwald spoke at length about her misgivings about the film’s problematic elements in a 2018 NPR interview.
    — Al Shipley, SPIN, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The opposition Labour Party voted through the bill, despite members’ misgivings.
    — Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of misgivings

Browse Nearby Words

compunction
compunctions
compunctious
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Cite this Entry

“Compunctions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compunctions. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on compunctions

Nglish: Translation of compunctions for Spanish Speakers

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