What does misgiving mean?
A misgiving is a feeling of doubt, hesitation, or unease, especially about a decision, an uncertain outcome, or the reliability of another person or thing. The plural "misgivings" is the usual form in contemporary English and commonly expresses a collection of concerns: someone may have misgivings about entering an agreement, changing jobs, beginning a journey, or relying on a plan. The word conveys caution rather than outright disbelief, suggesting that the person recognizes reasons for concern but may nevertheless decide to proceed. In older and more formal usage, "misgive" can mean to give consent or support reluctantly, with doubt or reluctance. In that construction, the related forms "misgave" and "misgiven" are used for the past tense and past participle. "Misgivings" is especially useful when describing the uneasy mixture of judgment and hesitation that can precede an important choice.
A feeling of doubt or uneasiness, especially about a future event or the reliability of something.
"He began the journey with some misgivings about the weather."
The plural form "misgivings" is more common than the singular in modern usage.
To give consent or support reluctantly, or to feel uneasy about doing so.
"Although she misgives her approval, she supports the proposal."
This is a formal and relatively uncommon verb form; "misgiving" is now chiefly encountered as a noun, especially in the plural.
The plural is the usual form when referring to general doubts or several concerns: "She had misgivings about the proposal."
"The board expressed misgivings about the new schedule."
To misgive is to give one's consent reluctantly or with doubts—misgivings are the doubts that may come before the decision.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of misgiving
The word is formed from the prefix "mis-" and the base "give," a formation that originally conveyed giving something in a wrong, incomplete, or reluctant manner. The expression developed a sense of reluctance and doubt before the modern noun meaning became established. Its core vocabulary belongs to the Germanic word family represented in English by "give," "given," and "gift," all of which trace to Old English roots associated with giving or bestowing.
Related word forms
How misgiving is actually used
In modern usage, "misgivings" is strongly preferred in the plural. The singular "misgiving" can suggest one particular feeling of doubt and occurs more often in formal or literary contexts.
Easily confused with misgiving
Although both forms can refer to doubt or uneasiness, "misgivings" is the usual plural form when discussing concerns in general, whereas "misgiving" may refer to a particular feeling of doubt.