misgive

/mis'giv/

Definition

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

Antonyms

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