GRE Confusing Words Practice
A sudden ____ of anxiety struck her when the elevator stopped between floors; she feared being trapped, not doing anything wrong.
As the boat lurched, a ____ of nausea made him grip the rail and fear he would vomit.
He is a man without ____.
Her ____ were firm moral principles: she would never deceive a customer, even when dishonesty would bring a profit.
Note
Scruples can mean the moral principles that guide someone's conduct, not just a passing feeling of doubt. A qualm can be a sudden feeling of nausea or unease unrelated to morality. For example, a qualm of nausea on a boat is not a moral objection. The words do overlap when they mean moral doubts: 'She had scruples about lying' and 'She had qualms about lying' both work. Note the number: scruples is plural; qualm is singular, and its plural is qualms.