A qualm is an uneasy feeling that something might be wrong or that you shouldn't do something. It's that little voice in your head that makes you pause and question whether you're making the right choice.

When you have qualms about copying a friend's homework, you feel uncomfortable because you know it's not honest, even if no one would catch you. If a scientist has qualms about an experiment, she worries it might not be safe or ethical. A student might have qualms about whether to tell the teacher that someone cheated on the test.

Qualms are different from fear. Fear makes you worry about what might happen to you. Qualms make you worry about whether something is right. You might feel no fear about sneaking an extra cookie, but you might have qualms about taking one that your sister was saving for later.

The word often appears in the phrase “without qualms” or “no qualms,” describing someone who acts without hesitation or doubt. A person with no qualms about lying will deceive others easily, without that uncomfortable feeling that usually stops people from being dishonest.

Having qualms shows you have a conscience. Those uncomfortable feelings help you think through decisions carefully and consider how your choices affect others.