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
Republicans in July overcame qualms about Trump’s polarizing antics and legal problems to nominate him a third time, galvanized after an assassination attempt by a gunman whose bullets nicked Trump’s ear at a Pennsylvania rally, killed a supporter and raised national tensions.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
The new gang surrounding Trump will have few of Kelly’s qualms.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2024
But DeWitt did have one qualm with her hit show, how her character rode off into the sunset.
—Caroline Thayer, Fox News, 19 Sep. 2024
Her biggest qualm so far, beyond one small hiccup with a machine jamming, is the humidity.
—Madison Lammert, Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for qualm 
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Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
The new gang surrounding Trump will have few of Kelly’s qualms.
—Susan B. Glasser, The New Yorker, 6 Nov. 2024
But DeWitt did have one qualm with her hit show, how her character rode off into the sunset.
—Caroline Thayer, Fox News, 19 Sep. 2024
Her biggest qualm so far, beyond one small hiccup with a machine jamming, is the humidity.
—Madison Lammert, Journal Sentinel, 6 Nov. 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 30 Nov. 2024.
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