misgave
Definition
- Verb (past tense of ):
- Caused doubt or anxiety: "misgave" is the simple past tense of the verb "misgive," meaning to cause feelings of doubt, suspicion, or foreboding, especially in one's mind or heart.
- Typically used in the phrase "one's mind/heart misgave one," indicating a sudden or persistent sense of unease or distrust about a situation.
Usage Examples
- (He felt a sudden doubt or anxiety about entering.)
- (I experienced a sense of unease or suspicion.)
- (Less common; she doubted or regretted her decision.)
Advanced Usage
- "to misgive" (archaic or literary): to cause to feel doubt or suspicion.
- The silence of the forest misgave the travelers. (The stillness made them feel uneasy.)
- "misgiving" (noun): a feeling of doubt or apprehension.
- He had serious misgivings about the plan. (He felt strong doubts about its success.)
Variants and Related Words
- Misgiving (n): a feeling of doubt, distrust, or apprehension.
- Despite her misgivings, she agreed to help. (She felt uneasy but consented.)
- Misgiven (v, past participle): the state of having been caused doubt.
- His confidence was misgiven by the unexpected news. (His confidence was shaken by doubt.)
Synonyms
- Doubted: felt uncertain or lacked conviction.
- Suspected: had a feeling of distrust or disbelief.
- Apprehended: anticipated with anxiety or fear.
- Foreboded: had a premonition of something bad.
Phrasal Verbs
- (None directly derived from "misgave"; the verb "misgive" is not commonly used with prepositions.)
Related Idioms
- "One's heart misgives one": an idiom meaning one feels a strong sense of doubt or foreboding.
- My heart misgives me about this journey. (I have a deep feeling that something may go wrong.)
- "A misgiving": a specific doubt or anxiety.
- She expressed her misgivings about the contract. (She voiced her concerns.)
Synonyms (Phrasal)
- "To have second thoughts": to reconsider with doubt.
- He had second thoughts about the investment. (He began to doubt his decision.)
- "To feel uneasy": to experience discomfort or anxiety.
- She felt uneasy about the proposal. (She sensed something was wrong.)