misgive

English

Etymology

from mis- +‎ give, from Middle English give (“suggest, give”). Compare given and what gives.

Verb

misgive (third-person singular simple present misgives, present participle misgiving, simple past misgave, past participle misgiven)

1. (transitive, archaic) (of the mind, heart, etc.) To give fear or doubt to; to make irresolute.
   • c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene vi]:

     As Henry’s late presaging prophecy / Did glad my heart with hope of this young Richmond, / So doth my heart misgive me, in these conflicts / What may befall him, to his harm and ours:

   • 1649, J[ohn] Milton, ΕΙΚΟΝΟΚΛΆΣΤΗΣ [Eikonoklástēs] […], London: […] Matthew Simmons, […], →OCLC, page 32:

     Surely those unarmed and Petitioning People needed not have bin so formidable to any, but to such whose consciences misgave them how ill they had deserv’d of the People;

   • 1728, [John] Gay, The Beggar’s Opera. […], London: […] John Watts, […], →OCLC, Act I, scene vi, page 7:

     Come hither Filch. I am as fond of this Child, as though my Mind miſgave me he vvere my ovvn. He hath as fine a Hand at picking a Pocket as a VVWoman, and is as nimble-finger’d as a Juggler.

   • 1886 January 5, Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, page 28:

     ‘Poor Harry Jekyll,’ he thought, ‘my mind misgives me he is in deep waters! […] ’

2. (transitive, archaic) To suspect; to dread.
   • 1567, Ovid, “The First Booke”, in Arthur Golding, transl., The XV. Bookes of P. Ouidius Naso, Entytuled Metamorphosis, […], London: […] Willyam Seres […], →OCLC:

     […] But for he had hir sought, / And coulde not finde hir any where, assuredly he thought / She did not liue aboue the molde, ne drewe the vitall breath: / Misgiuing worser in his minde, if ought be worse than death.

   • c. 1591–1595 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Romeo and Ivliet”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:

     […] my mind misgives / Some consequence yet hanging in the stars / Shall bitterly begin his fearful date / With this night’s revels and expire the term / Of a despised life closed in my breast / By some vile forfeit of untimely death.

3. (transitive, archaic) To give wrongly; to give or grant amiss.
   • 1700, William Laud, An Historical Account of All Material Transactions Relating to the University of Oxford in The history of the troubles and tryal of the Most Reverend Father in God and blessed martyr, William Laud, Lord Arch-Bishop of Canterbury, London: Ri[chard] Chiswell, p. 192,^[1]

     […] I protest unto you, I knew nothing of any of their Liberty misgiven or misused, till about a Fortnight since […]

Derived terms

• misgiving

Translations

to give fear or doubt to

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 使擔心／使担心 (shǐ dānxīn), 使不安 (shǐ bù'ān)

• Finnish: aavistaa pahaa, epäillä (fi)
• Russian: внуша́ть опасе́ния (vnušátʹ opasénija)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: слутити

  Roman: slutiti (sh)