scruple
2 synonyms and 1 antonym for scruple, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A feeling of doubt or unease that stops you doing something because it may not be right.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A feeling of doubt or unease that stops you doing something because it may not be right.
Etymology
From Old French scrupule, from Latin scrūpulus (“(literally) a small sharp or pointed stone; uneasiness of mind, anxiety, doubt, trouble; scruple”) and scrūpulum (“one twenty-fourth of an ounce”), diminutives of scrūpus (“a rough or sharp stone; anxiety, uneasiness”); perhaps akin to Ancient Greek σκύρος (skúros, “the...
Full origin of scruple →