What does "qualm" mean?
A feeling of apprehension, doubt, fear etc.
Qualm
/kwɑːm/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A feeling of apprehension, doubt, fear etc.
- Grammar: qualm is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: misgiving, scruple, unease, agitation.
- Useful contrasts: acceptance, approval, assurance.
- Usage evidence: He did not have any qualm of conscience.
How to use "qualm"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "qualm" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "qualm" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "qualm" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "qualm" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "qualm" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "misgiving" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "qualm", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A feeling of apprehension, doubt, fear etc.
"[W]ho vvould not rather Sleep Quietly upon a Hammock, vvithout either Cares in his Head, or Crudities in his Stomach, then lye Carking upon a Bed of State, vvith the Qualms and Tvvinges that accompany Surfeits and Exceſs?"
- 2 uneasiness about the fitness of an action (particularly for reasons of ethics, morals or propriety) wordnet
- 3 A sudden sickly feeling; queasiness.
- 4 a mild state of nausea wordnet
- 5 A prick of the conscience; a moral scruple, a pang of guilt.
"This lawyer has no qualms about saving people who are on the wrong side of the law."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Mortality; plague; pestilence. UK, archaic, dialectal
- 7 A calamity or disaster. UK, archaic, dialectal
Verb
- 1 To have a sickly feeling. intransitive
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"He did not have any qualm of conscience."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "qualm"?
Common synonyms include: misgiving, scruple, unease, agitation, airsickness, all overs.
How do you use "qualm" in a sentence?
He did not have any qualm of conscience.
How do you pronounce "qualm"?
Pronounced /kwɑːm/.
Etymology
Perhaps from Middle English qualm, cwalm (“death, sickness, plague”), which is from Old English cwealm (West Saxon: "death, disaster, plague"), ūtcwalm (Anglian: "utter destruction"), from Proto-West Germanic *kwalm (“killing, death, destruction”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʷelH- (“to stick, pierce; pain, injury, death”), whence also quell. Although the sense development is possible, this has the problem that there are no attestations in intermediate senses before the appearance of "pang of apprehension, etc." in the 16th century. The alternative etymology is from Dutch kwalm or German Qualm (“steam, vapor, mist”) earlier “daze, stupefaction”, which is from the root of German quellen (“to stream, well up”). The sense “feeling of faintness” is from 1530; “uneasiness, doubt” from 1553; “scruple of conscience” from 1649.