misgiving

1 of 2

noun

mis·​giv·​ing ˌmis-ˈgi-viŋ How to pronounce misgiving (audio)
Synonyms of misgiving
: a feeling of doubt or suspicion especially concerning a future event
Many people have expressed misgivings about his ability to do the job.

misgiving

2 of 2

present participle of misgive

Synonyms of misgiving

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Noun

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Examples of misgiving in a Sentence

Noun I felt some misgiving about his ability to do the job. They regarded the plan with misgiving.
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Noun
Whatever Lee’s initial misgivings, Netflix—which, in 2023, announced a two-and-a-half-billion-dollar investment in Korean television series and movies—threw its weight behind the project. — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 That result jazzed me, especially given my initial misgivings about the keyboard. — Joe Osborne, PC Magazine, 11 Oct. 2026 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 See All Example Sentences for misgiving

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1582, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of misgiving was in 1582

Rhymes for misgiving

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Browse Nearby Words

misgive
misgiving
misgivingly
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Cite this Entry

“Misgiving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/misgiving. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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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
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