as in doubts
an uneasy feeling about the rightness of what one is doing or going to do
throughout her school years she cheated without compunction
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Recent Examples of compunctions
Russia and Ukraine show no compunctions about killing the civilians of their enemy.
—
Oded J K Faran, Oc Register, 21 Oct. 2025
The boundaries of the world are delineated neatly by your compunctions.
—Matthew Shen Goodman, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for compunctions
Noun
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If anyone still had any doubts about her abilities, this—a supporting part that felt seismic—was their answer.—
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Anyone who has doubts about a call claiming to be Geneva police should call Geneva police themselves at 630-232-4736.—
Noun
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But if Venezuela, after inevitable turmoil in the near term, thrives, perhaps even helping to spread regional prosperity and security, those qualms won’t matter.—
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As for the stigma that may come with having used a weight-loss drug, Gaffigan has no qualms about it.—
Noun
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This approval was granted despite objections from more than 30 consumer advocacy groups that warned the system lacked proper safety testing.—
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The filmmaker’s claim of innocence became a cause célèbre in Italy, leading to diplomatic pressure to transfer him, despite fierce objections by the Miami-Dade state prosecutors who convicted him.—
Noun
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Mainstream Republicans and right-leaning unaffiliated voters will gravitate to candidates with experience and scruples.—
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For Jay Gatsby, a man of immense wealth and few scruples, almost nothing is beyond his voracious appetite for excess.—
Noun
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With Lee’s help, Capote worked to tamp down misgivings.—
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Despite some of her family's misgivings, Riley’s murder inspired a piece of immigration legislation.—
Cite this Entry
“Compunctions.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/compunctions. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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