having reservations

Meaning

1. 1phraseidiom

   Feeling doubts or concerns about a plan, idea or person, even if you do not reject it completely.

   Grammar: Reservations is always plural and usually followed by about or over: having reservations about the plan.

   Patterns

   • have reservations about something
   • have reservations about doing something

   I am having reservations about the move now that the price has risen.

   She was having reservations about signing the contract.

   Several members are having reservations over the budget.

Word forms

Common combinations

having reservations about

He was having reservations about the trip.

having serious reservations

The board is having serious reservations about the merger.

having some reservations

I'm having some reservations about the plan.

having second thoughts and reservations

I'm having second thoughts and reservations about it.

without having reservations

Without having reservations, she accepted the offer.

Synonyms and how they differ

having doubts

Having doubts is more general and can mean you do not believe something, while reservations suggest hesitation about approving.

being hesitant

Being hesitant focuses on slowness to act rather than on specific concerns.

having misgivings

Having misgivings suggests a more uneasy feeling that something might go wrong.

having qualms

Having qualms often relates to moral worries about doing something.

Opposites

Word family

reservation noun

a doubt, or a booking at a restaurant or hotel

reserve verb

to book or keep something for later

reserved adjective

quiet and not showing feelings, or booked

unreservedly adverb

completely and without doubt

Commonly confused: having reservations or reservations (booking)?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “having reservations”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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