Jim HoltOliver SacksRobert Louis Stevenson
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We're not sure how qualm came to be (it may be related to a similar German word), but we know this word was originally used to refer to a sudden sick feeling, such as nausea or faintness, and then for a sudden attack of usually disturbing emotion, such as grief or doubt. Both these senses are still in use: a person may be described, for example, as experiencing a qualm of nausea or a qualm of fear. These days, though, you’re most likely to hear qualm used in its newest sense, referring to a feeling of uneasiness, particularly about whether a person is following their conscience or better judgment. You’re especially likely to hear this sense of qualm used in negative statements, such as “We have no qualms about telling you what sort of things the word qualm does.”
Examples of qualm in a Sentence
Kenneth Squire, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2025
Many have such qualms due to the pricing problem.
—Thomas Elias, Mercury News, 21 Oct. 2025
Trump’s qualms with China Earlier this month, Beijing announced plans to restrict exports of rare-earth minerals, critical materials needed to power a wide range of electronics.
—Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2025
Every spring, Schneider has no qualms about once again embarking on the months-long baseball journey that is guaranteed to end too early for 29 teams.
—Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for qualm
Cite this Entry
“Qualm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/qualm. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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