YOUR VOCABULARY, ONE WORD AT A TIME

qualm

Noun

IPA /kwɑːm/

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Meaning in plain English

A feeling of doubt or unease about whether an action you are considering or taking is right.

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Pronunciation

qualm/kwɑːm/

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Someone offers a very expensive gift
You wonder whether accepting it is right
You hesitate before agreeing

A qualm is a doubt or uneasy feeling about the rightness of an action.

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Examples in context

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I had qualms about accepting such an expensive gift.
She expressed a qualm about using the photograph without permission.

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She expressed a ________ about using the photograph without permission.

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qualm — A feeling of doubt or unease about whether an action you are considering or taking is right.

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A feeling of doubt or unease about whether an action you are considering or taking is right.

Compare: I had qualms about accepting such an expensive gift.

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Did you know?

Qualm is often used in the plural, especially in have no qualms about doing something.

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