Definition

Noun: 1. A sudden feeling of uneasiness, doubt, or anxiety, especially about the morality or correctness of an action. It is a pang of conscience or a moment of hesitation. 2. (Archaic or less common) A sudden feeling of faintness or nausea. This sense is now rare in modern usage.

Usage

• Qualm is a countable noun. You can have "a qualm" or "qualms" about something.
• It is typically used to describe an inner, moral, or ethical hesitation.
• Common collocations: "to have qualms about," "to feel qualms about," "without a qualm," "moral qualms," "ethical qualms."

Examples

• As a singular noun:
  • She had a qualm about accepting the money, as it didn't feel right.
  • He signed the contract without a qualm.
• As a plural noun:
  • I have serious qualms about the environmental impact of this project.
  • Despite her qualms, she decided to go through with the plan.

Advanced Usage

• "To have no qualms about (doing) something": To feel no hesitation, doubt, or guilt about an action, even if others might find it questionable.
  • He had no qualms about firing employees who were not performing.
• "Qualms of conscience": A strong feeling of guilt or moral unease.
  • The decision to leave caused him terrible qualms of conscience.

Variants and Related Words

• Qualmish (adjective, rare): Feeling qualms; nauseated or uneasy.
  • The unsettling news left her feeling qualmish.

Synonyms

• Scruple: A feeling of doubt or hesitation based on moral grounds. (Very close in meaning, often used interchangeably).
• Misgiving: A feeling of doubt or apprehension about the outcome or consequences of something.
• Compunction: A feeling of guilt or moral scruple that follows a wrongdoing.
• Hesitation: The action of pausing before saying or doing something.

Antonyms

• Certainty
• Confidence
• Assurance

Notes on Meaning

The primary and most common meaning in contemporary English is the first one: a pang of conscience or moral unease. The second meaning (nausea) is considered archaic and is rarely used in modern writing or speech unless in a historical or literary context. When you encounter "qualm" today, you should first interpret it as a feeling of doubt or ethical hesitation.

Noun

1. a mild state of nausea
2. uneasiness about the fitness of an action