misgive

/mis'giv/
Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition
  1. Verb (transitive and intransitive):
    • To cause (someone) to feel doubt, apprehension, or anxiety; to fill with suspicion or foreboding. It often describes an inner feeling of unease or a premonition that something is wrong or will go wrong.
Usage and Examples
  • Verb:
    • Her heart misgave her as she entered the dark, silent house. (She felt a sudden sense of apprehension.)
    • A misgiving thought misgave him about the wisdom of his decision. (A doubtful thought caused him to feel uneasy.)
    • My mind misgives me that we have forgotten something crucial. (I have a persistent doubt or worry.)
Advanced Usage and Notes
  • Subject: The subject is often an abstract noun like "heart," "mind," "conscience," or a "thought/feeling." The object is typically a person (often a reflexive pronoun like ).
  • Tense: The past tense is misgave, and the past participle is misgiven. It is a formal and somewhat archaic verb, more common in literary contexts than in everyday speech.
  • Structure: Commonly used in constructions like "[Someone's] heart/mind misgives [them]" or "It misgives [someone] that..."
Variants and Related Words
  • Misgiving (noun): A feeling of doubt, apprehension, or dread.
    • She had deep misgivings about the plan.
  • Given (verb): (As a root; unrelated in meaning but related in form) To grant or bestow.
Synonyms
  • Apprehend: To anticipate with dread or fear.
  • Doubt: To be uncertain about; to lack confidence in.
  • Distrust: To have no trust or confidence in.
  • Forebode: To have a premonition of (something bad).
Antonyms
  • Assure: To tell someone positively to dispel doubt.
  • Reassure: To say or do something to remove someone's doubts or fears.
  • Convince: To cause (someone) to believe firmly in the truth of something.
Idiomatic Expressions and Phrases
  • One's heart misgives one: A classic literary phrase meaning one feels a sudden pang of doubt or fear.
    • His heart misgave him when he saw the expression on her face.
  • To be misgiven: (Less common) To be filled with misgivings.
    • He was misgiven by the strange silence.
Verb
  1. suggest fear or doubt
    • Her heart misgave her that she had acted inexcusably