Misgive

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To cause someone to feel uneasy, doubtful or fearful about how something will turn out
2. Said of a feeling of doubt or dread that arises in the mind about a course of action or outcome
3. To fill the mind with apprehension or uncertainty, especially about a plan or a future event

Etymology: "Misgive" is a compound of the prefix "mis-", meaning wrongly or badly, and "give" in the older sense of "suggest" or "give" as in to give rise to a feeling in the mind. The verb in its current sense, to make someone feel uneasy or apprehensive, reflects that older idea: a doubt or fear is something the mind is given, and "misgive" is the wrong or unwelcome version of that giving. The same root gave us the noun "misgiving," which is the more familiar form today, meaning a feeling of doubt or apprehension. The verb "misgive" is the older base from which the noun was formed, so the noun is a derivative of the verb, not the other way round. The words "given" and "what gives" share the same "give" root, though their senses have drifted apart.

Synonyms: doubt, fear, worry, distrust

Antonyms: trust, reassure, believe