qualm
Americannoun
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an uneasy feeling or pang of conscience as to conduct; compunction.
He has no qualms about lying.
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a sudden feeling of apprehensive uneasiness; misgiving.
a sudden qualm about the success of the venture.
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a sudden sensation or onset of faintness or illness, especially of nausea.
noun
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a sudden feeling of sickness or nausea
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a pang or sudden feeling of doubt, esp concerning moral conduct; scruple
-
a sudden sensation of misgiving or unease
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of qualm
First recorded in 1520–30; origin uncertain
Explanation
A qualm is a feeling of uneasiness, or a sense that something you're doing is wrong, and it sounds almost like how it makes your stomach feel. If you had qualms about taking candy from the bulk bins at the store, your conscience probably told you to go back to the cashier and pay. Qualm entered English in the 16th century, with meanings like "doubt" and "uneasiness." Usually a qualm comes from doubt about an action and a feeling that you are doing, or are about to do, something wrong. It isn’t a bad feeling about another person's behavior but about your own. If you have qualms about lying to get into the over-18 dance club, you might decide to follow your gut-check and meet your friends for coffee instead.
Vocabulary lists containing qualm
To Kill a Mockingbird
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The Catcher in the Rye
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"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 12–15
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"There was never a quibble, never a qualm, there was never a moan", he said.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2022
Reading the many threads and blog posts on this topic, it was clear I wasn’t the first person to face this very specific moving qualm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 25, 2022
The only qualm we have with the Charge 5 is the always-on display.
From The Verge ● Mar. 18, 2022
“Their qualm is that Guam is still closed. And if this is the ticket to getting back to work and restimulating the economy, then they want people to get the shot.”
From New York Times ● Aug. 25, 2021
There was a sick qualm at the pit of Johnny’s stomach.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
Freel said he had no qualms about playing the role.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 4, 2026
"I don't see why I should have any qualms if people fall for it," he told AFP in an interview in a Tirana cafe.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
“He really has some good ideas,” she said, adding that she had more qualms about Steyer’s lack of government experience than his wealth.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
This judge had complete command of her courtroom and had no qualms about lambasting anyone who ran afoul of the rules.
From BBC ● May 15, 2026
But in this particular case, O’Malley had no qualms about prosecuting Richard as an adult.
From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.