the.com/misgiving
that quiet gut whisper begging you not to sign the dotted line.
means A feeling of doubt, unease, or apprehension about something you're about to do or trust.
from Built from the old prefix 'mis-' (wrong, badly) and 'give' — but here 'give' carries its archaic sense of 'to suggest' or 'to be inclined,' as in how your mind 'gives' you a feeling. So a misgiving is literally a wrong-feeling your mind hands you: an inner suggestion that something is off. The word surfaces in English several centuries ago, often paired with 'my mind misgives me,' meaning some quiet instinct foretells trouble.
- word origin
- from giving the mind a wrong or doubtful turn
- timing
- arrives before disaster, ignored until after
- plural habit
- rarely travels alone, prefers a crowd
- body link
- often felt in the stomach, not the head