misgiving
noun
mis·giv·ing ˌmis-ˈgi-viŋ 
: a feeling of doubt or suspicion especially concerning a future event
Many people have expressed misgivings about his ability to do the job.
Synonyms
- distrust
- distrustfulness
- doubt
- dubiety
- dubitation [archaic]
- incertitude
- misdoubt
- mistrust
- mistrustfulness
- query
- reservation
- skepticism
- suspicion
- uncertainty
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
I felt some misgiving about his ability to do the job. They regarded the plan with misgiving.
Recent Examples on the Web No amount of atonement or misgiving makes any difference. 
Greg Jackson, Harper's Magazine, 25 May 2021 Despite any nostalgic misgivings, however, the TrackMan system seems a natural next step in the evolution of sports and technology. Dugan Arnett, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2019 Despite any misgivings about Cruise as an actor and a person, the trailer certainly sets up some pretty spectacular shots. Andrew Liptak, The Verge, 18 July 2019 Some of us who would otherwise be reluctant to vote for Mr. Trump and Republican enablers in Congress see the over-the-top Democratic and media response to him as reason enough to cast ballots for the GOP despite any misgivings. WSJ, 2 Nov. 2018 Barton's attorney, Fred Duchardt Jr., said last week that three jurors involved in Barton's 2006 trial now express misgivings based on the blood spatter evidence. Erin Donaghue, CBS News, 19 May 2020 Any misgivings have also been tempered by a feeling the state should be taking stronger measures to control the outbreak. Anchorage Daily News, 3 May 2020 The company expressed misgivings about participating, but also believed that backing out might prompt an angry response from Trump. Jordan Fabian, Bloomberg.com, 15 Apr. 2020 Majeed's misgivings about being asked to spy on his own community are heightened when his devout father begins frequenting the mosque, bringing both his son and granddaughter back into the fold after years of relatively secular detachment. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2020 See More
Greg Jackson, Harper's Magazine, 25 May 2021 Despite any nostalgic misgivings, however, the TrackMan system seems a natural next step in the evolution of sports and technology. Dugan Arnett, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2019 Despite any misgivings about Cruise as an actor and a person, the trailer certainly sets up some pretty spectacular shots. Andrew Liptak, The Verge, 18 July 2019 Some of us who would otherwise be reluctant to vote for Mr. Trump and Republican enablers in Congress see the over-the-top Democratic and media response to him as reason enough to cast ballots for the GOP despite any misgivings. WSJ, 2 Nov. 2018 Barton's attorney, Fred Duchardt Jr., said last week that three jurors involved in Barton's 2006 trial now express misgivings based on the blood spatter evidence. Erin Donaghue, CBS News, 19 May 2020 Any misgivings have also been tempered by a feeling the state should be taking stronger measures to control the outbreak. Anchorage Daily News, 3 May 2020 The company expressed misgivings about participating, but also believed that backing out might prompt an angry response from Trump. Jordan Fabian, Bloomberg.com, 15 Apr. 2020 Majeed's misgivings about being asked to spy on his own community are heightened when his devout father begins frequenting the mosque, bringing both his son and granddaughter back into the fold after years of relatively secular detachment. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Mar. 2020 See More Word History
First Known Use
1582, in the meaning defined above
Kids Definition
misgiving
noun
mis·giv·ing mis-ˈgi-viŋ
: a feeling of distrust or doubt especially about what is going to happen
misgiving 1 of 2
noun
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
Relevance
- doubt
- skepticism
- uncertainty
- suspicion
- distrust
- mistrust
- disbelief
- concern
- dubiety
- misdoubt
- incertitude
- qualm
- incredulity
- dubitation
- distrustfulness
- paranoia
- unbelief
- mistrustfulness
- wariness
- reservation
- compunction
- query
- anxiety
- tremor
- scruple
- niggle
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- belief
- certainty
- confidence
- assurance
- conviction
- trust
- certitude
- sureness
- surety
- faith
- 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
- regret
- compunction
- objection
- scruple
- remorse
- suspicion
- guilt
- uncertainty
- unease
- question
- skepticism
- mistrust
- uneasiness
- distrust
- dubiety
- conscience
- reluctance
- incertitude
- reluctance
- misdoubt
- uncertainness
- reservation
- demur
- remonstrance
- indisposition
- protest
- unwillingness
- shame
- disinclination
- unwillingness
- self-reproach
- contrition
- qualmishness
- repentance
- penitence
- aversion
- fuss
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- certainty
- assurance
- confidence
- conviction
- sureness
- certitude
- aplomb
- self-assurance
- self-confidence
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
- apprehensiveness
- fearfulness
- anxiety
- uncertainty
- unease
- apprehension
- doubt
- uneasiness
- disquietude
- disquiet
- alarm
- foreboding
- mistrust
- anxiousness
- scruple
- alarum
- agitation
- solicitude
- suspense
- wariness
- distress
- perturbation
- suspiciousness
- pessimism
- disturbance
- incertitude
- funk
- presentiment
- defeatism
- premonition
- foreknowledge
- presage
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- excitement
- anticipation
- hope
- confidence
- optimism
- hopefulness
- sanguinity
misgiving
2 of 2adjective
as in troublesome
Synonyms & Similar Words
- troublesome
- foreboding
- bothersome
- disquieting
- uneasy
- discouraging
- nervous
- anxious
- worrisome
- unnerving
- unsettling
- fraught
- strained
- restless
- disturbing
- disheartening
- agitating
- distressing
- distressful
- embarrassing
- tense
- creepy
- nerve-wracking
- unrestful
- restive
- nerve-racking
- nail-biting
- hairy
- awkward
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- comfortable
- quiet
- easy
- calming
- tranquil
- quieting
- peaceful
- restful
- pacific
- purls
- puro
- puromycin
- puromycins
- purp
- purpart
- purple
- purple apricot
- purple avens
- purple azalea
- purple beech
- purple bells
- purple bent
- purple betony
- purple bladderwort
- purple blotch
- purple boneset
- purple bonnet
- purple bottle
- purple brown
- purple cane
- purple carmine
- purple chamber
- purple chokeberry
- purple cinquefoil