Adjacent Words

Qualm definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

QU'ALM, n. quam.
1. A rising in the stomach, as it is commonly called; a fit of nausea, or a disposition or effort of the stomach to eject its contents.
2. A sudden fit or seizure of sickness at the stomach; a sensation of nausea; as qualms of heart-sickagony.
For who, without a qualm, hath ever look'd on holy garbage, though by Homer cook'd?
3. A scruple of conscience, or uneasiness of conscience.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: uneasiness about the fitness of an action [syn: scruple, qualm, misgiving]
2: a mild state of nausea [syn: queasiness, squeamishness, qualm]

Merriam Webster's

noun Etymology: origin unknown Date: circa 1530 1. a sudden attack of illness, faintness, or nausea 2. a sudden access of usually disturbing emotion (as doubt or fear) 3. a feeling of uneasiness about a point especially of conscience or propriety • qualmy adjective Synonyms: qualm, scruple, compunction, demur mean a misgiving about what one is doing or going to do. qualm implies an uneasy fear that one is not following one's conscience or better judgment <no qualms about plagiarizing>. scruple implies doubt of the rightness of an act on grounds of principle <no scruples against buying stolen goods>. compunction implies a spontaneous feeling of responsibility or compassion for a potential victim <had compunctions about lying>. demur implies hesitation caused by objection to an outside suggestion or influence <accepted her decision without demur>.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. 1 a misgiving; an uneasy doubt esp. about one's own conduct. 2 a scruple of conscience. 3 a momentary faint or sick feeling. Derivatives: qualmish adj. Etymology: 16th c.: orig. uncert.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Qualm Qualm, n. [AS. cwealm death, slaughter, pestilence, akin to OS. & OHG. qualm. See Quail to cower.] 1. Sickness; disease; pestilence; death. [Obs.] thousand slain and not of qualm ystorve [dead]. --Chaucer. 2. A sudden attack of illness, faintness, or pain; an agony. `` Qualms of heartsick agony.'' --Milton. 3. Especially, a sudden sensation of nausea. For who, without a qualm, hath ever looked On holy garbage, though by Homer cooked? --Roscommon. 4. A prick or scruple of conscience; uneasiness of conscience; compunction. --Dryden.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(qualms) If you have no qualms about doing something, you are not worried that it may be wrong in some way. I have no qualms about recommending this approach... N-COUNT

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Throe, pang, agony, sudden attack. 2. Sickness (of the stomach), nausea. 3. Twinge (of conscience), scruple, uneasiness, compunction, remorse.

Moby Thesaurus

agitation, airsickness, all-overs, anxiety, apprehension, apprehensiveness, bashfulness, beef, better self, bitch, boggle, boggling, boycott, car sickness, challenge, complaint, compunction, concern, conscience, conscientiousness, conviction, demonstration, demur, demurral, demurrer, diffidence, disinclination, doubt, exception, expostulation, falter, faltering, fastidiousness, foreboding, funny feeling, grievance, grievance committee, hesitance, hesitancy, hesitation, howl, impatience, indignation meeting, insecurity, kick, mal de mer, march, meticulousness, misgiving, mistrust, modesty, motion sickness, nausea, nervousness, nonviolent protest, objection, overconscientiousness, overscrupulousness, pang, pangs, pangs of conscience, pause, perturbation, picketing, point of honor, presentiment, pricking of heart, protest, protest demonstration, protestation, punctilio, punctiliousness, qualm of conscience, qualmishness, qualms, queasiness, rally, recoil, reluctance, remonstrance, remonstration, scruple, scruples, scrupulosity, scrupulousness, seasickness, second thought, shrinking, shyness, sit-in, squawk, squeamishness, stickling, strike, suspicion, teach-in, throes, touch of conscience, twinge, twinge of conscience, uncertainty, unease, uneasiness, unwillingness, voice of conscience, vomiting, worry