qualm

[ kwahm, kwawm ]

noun

1. an uneasy feeling or pang of conscience as to conduct; compunction:

   He has no qualms about lying.

2. a sudden feeling of apprehensive uneasiness; misgiving:

   a sudden qualm about the success of the venture.

3. a sudden sensation or onset of faintness or illness, especially of nausea.

qualm

/ kwɑːm /

noun

1. a sudden feeling of sickness or nausea
2. a pang or sudden feeling of doubt, esp concerning moral conduct; scruple
3. a sudden sensation of misgiving or unease

Derived Forms

• ˈqualmishness, noun
• ˈqualmish, adjective
• ˈqualmishly, adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of qualm¹

First recorded in 1520–30; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of qualm¹

Old English cwealm death or plague; related to Old High German qualm despair, Dutch kwalm smoke, stench

Example Sentences

But one senior former intelligence official told Politico that allies like Israel would still have "serious qualms" about Gabbard.

From Salon

Reed’s qualms about religion are gender neutral; his pathological needs are not.

From Los Angeles Times

Others admit to qualms about Trump’s style but say they support him because they hope he can bring back the low-inflation prosperity of his first two years in office.

From Los Angeles Times

But as he prepares to cast his ballot, he expects to swallow his qualms about tariffs in favour of other priorities, such as illegal immigration and opposition to abortion.

From BBC

Eirian Powell, who was the manager of the hospital's neonatal unit at the time, told how she had "no qualms" about employing Letby in January 2012 after she had finished her training.

From BBC

Related Words

• anxiety
• apprehension
• disquiet
• hesitation
• misgiving
• nervousness
• objection
• pang
• reluctance
• remorse
• twinge
• unease
• uneasiness