Synonyms of misgiving

misgiving 1 of 2

noun

ˌmis-ˈgi-viŋ 

1

as in doubt

a feeling or attitude that one does not know the truth, truthfulness, or trustworthiness of someone or something

I had misgivings about the alleged victim's story, but I was afraid to speak up

Synonyms & Similar Words

• doubt
• skepticism
• suspicion
• uncertainty
• distrust
• mistrust
• concern
• disbelief
• dubiety
• misdoubt
• incertitude
• reservation
• query
• dubitation
• distrustfulness
• incredulity
• mistrustfulness
• unbelief
• paranoia
• qualm
• wariness
• anxiety
• compunction
• tremor
• scruple
• niggle

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• belief
• confidence
• trust
• conviction
• assurance
• certainty
• surety
• faith
• certitude
• sureness
• credence

2

as in qualm

an uneasy feeling about the rightness of what one is doing or going to do

he was filled with misgivings about committing himself to such a huge loan

Synonyms & Similar Words

• doubt
• qualm
• objection
• regret
• compunction
• scruple
• remorse
• guilt
• suspicion
• question
• uncertainty
• skepticism
• unease
• conscience
• distrust
• mistrust
• uneasiness
• reluctance
• reservation
• dubiety
• misdoubt
• protest
• incertitude
• unwillingness
• remonstrance
• uncertainness
• indisposition
• shame
• disinclination
• demur
• contrition
• repentance
• self-reproach
• penitence
• qualmishness
• aversion
• fuss

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• conviction
• certainty
• assurance
• confidence
• certitude
• sureness
• aplomb
• self-confidence
• self-assurance

3

as in dread

suspicion or fear of future harm or misfortune

overcome by a sudden misgiving upon seeing the creepy old mansion

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dread
• worry
• concern
• anxiety
• uncertainty
• apprehension
• fearfulness
• unease
• apprehensiveness
• alarm
• doubt
• uneasiness
• foreboding
• disquiet
• suspense
• agitation
• perturbation
• distress
• mistrust
• disquietude
• solicitude
• disturbance
• scruple
• wariness
• pessimism
• funk
• anxiousness
• presentiment
• suspiciousness
• defeatism
• premonition
• incertitude
• foreknowledge
• presage

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• excitement
• hope
• anticipation
• confidence
• hopefulness
• optimism
• sanguinity

misgiving

2 of 2

adjective

as in troublesome

Related Words

• troublesome
• foreboding
• bothersome
• discouraging
• nervous
• disquieting
• anxious
• uneasy
• worrisome
• unnerving
• strained
• unsettling
• fraught
• restless
• disheartening
• disturbing
• distressing
• distressful
• tense
• creepy
• embarrassing
• restive
• agitating
• nerve-racking
• unrestful
• nail-biting
• hairy
• awkward

Dissimilar Words

• comfortable
• easy
• quiet
• peaceful
• tranquil
• quieting
• calming
• restful
• pacific

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of misgiving

Noun

An eminent film critic has written a new analysis of cinema that is propelled by exactly such misgivings. — Michael O’Donnell, The Atlantic, 2 July 2026

The history of reception is also a history of cherished hopes, beliefs, and misgivings. — Clare Bucknell, The New York Review of Books, 27 June 2026

Shanda had misgivings about Pitman working nights—which is when debtors, and their cars, tend to be home—and in sketchy circumstances. — Paige Williams, New Yorker, 22 June 2026

That willingness to listen most recently manifested when city residents expressed strong misgivings about the city’s plan for major renovations of Leu Gardens. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2026