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

Kubrick, who had always had misgivings about the scene but kept it in after his daughter Vivian advocated for it, decided to remove the epilogue after the first few days of exhibition. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026

Chief Justice John Roberts was one of several justices whose questions suggested misgivings about aspects of each side's position. — Arkansas Online, 6 Oct. 2026

But the new direction caused misgivings for some conservative supporters of the institution, such as Graves, who joined the regents as one of the three Republican congressional appointees in 2023. — Alec MacGillis, ProPublica, 24 Sep. 2026

Vasarhelyi, seemingly a less hands-on presence in this project, voices a few more misgivings, at one stage pointedly asking her husband how many people who have previously been guests at their dinner table are now dead. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026