qualm

noun

ˈkwäm 

 also  ˈkwȯm,

or

ˈkwälm 

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

ˈkwä-mē 

 also  ˈkwȯ-

 or  ˈkwäl-

adjective

Did you know?

Etymologists are not sure how qualm came to be, but early use of the word is for a sudden sick feeling. It then was used for a sudden attack of emotion. Today, qualm usually refers to a feeling of uneasiness, particularly in not following one's conscience or better judgment.

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

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

Related 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

My one qualm with this product is the tiny applicator brush. —Brittany Leitner, StyleCaster, 5 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

circa 1530, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Kids Definition

qualm

noun

ˈkwäm  ˈkwälm 

 also  ˈkwȯm

1

: a sudden attack of illness, faintness, or nausea

2

: a sudden fear

3

: a feeling of doubt or indecision in matters of right and wrong

had qualms about coming home late

qualmy

-ē

adjective