qualm

qualm

 
noun | KWAHM
 
What It Means
 
A qualm is a feeling of doubt or uncertainty about whether one is doing the right thing, or whether something is right or proper. Qualm is often used in its plural form, as in “I have no qualms with that decision.”
 
// Elena’s parents had no qualms about her organizing a dinner party for her three closest friends.


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qualm
noun
;kw;m   also  ;kw;m, or ;kw;lm
Synonyms of qualm
1
: a feeling of uneasiness about a point especially of conscience or propriety
had no qualms about asking for their help
It was about an enduring secular world where people did unspeakable things, seemingly without qualm and without any grave consequences to themselves.
—Jim Holt
2
: a sudden feeling of usually disturbing emotion (such as doubt or fear)
I had a qualm of absolute horror, and shuddered; and then the emotion was immediately repressed or suppressed.
—Oliver Sacks
3
: a sudden attack of illness, faintness, or nausea
The doctor seemed seized with a qualm of faintness.
—Robert Louis Stevenson
qualmy
;kw;-m;
 also
;kw;-
 or
;kw;l-
 adjective


Did you know?
We're not sure how qualm came to be (it may be related to a similar German word), but we know this word was originally used to refer to a sudden sick feeling, such as nausea or faintness, and then for a sudden attack of usually disturbing emotion, such as grief or doubt. Both these senses are still in use: a person may be described, for example, as experiencing a qualm of nausea or a qualm of fear. These days, though, you’re most likely to hear qualm used in its newest sense, referring to a feeling of uneasiness, particularly about whether a person is following their conscience or better judgment. You’re especially likely to hear this sense of qualm used in negative statements, such as “We have no qualms about telling you what sort of things the word qualm does.”

Synonyms
compunction
misgiving
scruple
Choose the Right Synonym for qualm

qualm, scruple, compunction, demur mean a misgiving about what one is doing or going to do.

qualm implies an uneasy fear that one is not following one's conscience or better judgment.

no qualms about plagiarizing
scruple implies doubt of the rightness of an act on grounds of principle.

no scruples against buying stolen goods
compunction implies a spontaneous feeling of responsibility or compassion for a potential victim.

had compunctions about lying
demur implies hesitation caused by objection to an outside suggestion or influence.

accepted her decision without demur
Examples of qualm in a Sentence
He accepted their offer without a qualm.
she has no qualms about downloading pirated music files from the Internet
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
But DeWitt did have one qualm with her hit show, how her character rode off into the sunset.
—Caroline Thayer, Fox News, 19 Sep. 2024
Her biggest qualm so far, beyond one small hiccup with a machine jamming, is the humidity.
—Madison Lammert, Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024
The person performing the love bombing might have mental health qualms.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
In a slew of videos posted to Instagram Stories on Monday (Sept. 9), Jaime opened up about wanting to attend Linkin Park’s fast-approaching comeback show in Los Angeles, in spite of his qualms with the group’s new vocalist Emily Armstrong.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2024

Word History
Etymology
origin unknown

First Known Use
circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of qualm was circa 1530
See more words from the same year