1
: a feeling of uneasiness about a point especially of conscience or propriety
had no qualms about asking for their help
It was about an enduring secular world where people did unspeakable things, seemingly without qualm and without any grave consequences to themselves.—
Jim Holt
Jim Holt2
: a sudden feeling of usually disturbing emotion (such as doubt or fear)
I had a qualm of absolute horror, and shuddered; and then the emotion was immediately repressed or suppressed.—Oliver Sacks
Oliver Sacks3
: a sudden attack of illness, faintness, or nausea
The doctor seemed seized with a qualm of faintness.—Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Did you know?
Etymologists are not sure how qualm came to be, but early use of the word is for a sudden sick feeling. It then was used for a sudden attack of emotion. Today, qualm usually refers to a feeling of uneasiness, particularly in not following one's conscience or better judgment.
Examples of qualm in a Sentence
He accepted their offer without a qualm.
she has no qualms about downloading pirated music files from the Internet
Recent Examples on the Web
Her biggest qualm so far, beyond one small hiccup with a machine jamming, is the humidity.
—Madison Lammert, Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024
The person performing the love bombing might have mental health qualms.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Related In a slew of videos posted to Instagram Stories on Monday (Sept. 9), Jaime opened up about wanting to attend Linkin Park’s fast-approaching comeback show in Los Angeles, in spite of his qualms with the group’s new vocalist Emily Armstrong.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2024
My one qualm with this product is the tiny applicator brush.
—Brittany Leitner, StyleCaster, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for qualm 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Madison Lammert, Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024
The person performing the love bombing might have mental health qualms.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024
Related In a slew of videos posted to Instagram Stories on Monday (Sept. 9), Jaime opened up about wanting to attend Linkin Park’s fast-approaching comeback show in Los Angeles, in spite of his qualms with the group’s new vocalist Emily Armstrong.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 10 Sep. 2024
My one qualm with this product is the tiny applicator brush.
—Brittany Leitner, StyleCaster, 5 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for qualm
Dictionary Entries Near qualm
Cite this Entry
“Qualm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/qualm. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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