misgiving
English
Etymology
From misgive [1], from mis- + give, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English give (“suggest, given”). Compare given and what gives
Noun
misgiving (plural misgivings)
- doubt, apprehension, a feeling of dread
- 1846-1848, Charles Dickens, Dombey and Son:
- He could think of her being there, without a lurking misgiving that it would have been better if she had not come.
- 1900, Theodore Dreiser, Sister Carrie:
- In the night, or the gloomy chambers of the day, fears and misgivings wax strong, but out in the sunlight there is, for a time, cessation even of the terror of death.
Usage notes
Almost always used in the plural.
Synonyms
Translations
Doubts, concerns
|
References
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “misgiving”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Further reading
- “misgiving”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “misgiving”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.