diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 59874da..847f585 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -364,10 +364,10 @@ for types that implement `std::error::Error`.
 
 for types that implement `core::fmt::Debug`:
 
-| assertion                   | description                                                                |
-|-----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
-| has_debug_message           | verify that a type formatted for debug is equal to the expected string     |                                                 
-| does_not_have_debug_message | verify that a type formatted for debug is not equal to the expected string |
+| assertion                  | description                                                                |
+|----------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------|
+| has_debug_string           | verify that a type formatted for debug is equal to the expected string     |                                                 
+| does_not_have_debug_string | verify that a type formatted for debug is not equal to the expected string |
 
 for types that implement `core::fmt::Display`:
 
diff --git a/src/assertions.rs b/src/assertions.rs
index 333d5b6..ff8e6ba 100644
--- a/src/assertions.rs
+++ b/src/assertions.rs
@@ -2287,10 +2287,10 @@ pub trait AssertErrorHasSource<'a, R> {
 ///
 /// let subject = Foo { hello: "World".into() };
 ///
-/// assert_that!(&subject).has_debug_message("Foo { hello: \"World\" }");
-/// assert_that!(&subject).does_not_have_debug_message("Bar { hello: \"World\" }");
+/// assert_that!(&subject).has_debug_string("Foo { hello: \"World\" }");
+/// assert_that!(&subject).does_not_have_debug_string("Bar { hello: \"World\" }");
 /// ```
-pub trait AssertHasDebugMessage<E> {
+pub trait AssertHasDebugString<E> {
     /// Verifies that a subject formatted for debugging results in the expected
     /// string.
     ///
@@ -2306,10 +2306,10 @@ pub trait AssertHasDebugMessage<E> {
     ///
     /// let subject = Foo { hello: "World".into() };
     ///
-    /// assert_that!(subject).has_debug_message("Foo { hello: \"World\" }");
+    /// assert_that!(subject).has_debug_string("Foo { hello: \"World\" }");
     /// ```
     #[track_caller]
-    fn has_debug_message(self, expected: E) -> Self;
+    fn has_debug_string(self, expected: E) -> Self;
 
     /// Verifies that a subject formatted for debugging does not result in the
     /// expected string.
@@ -2326,10 +2326,10 @@ pub trait AssertHasDebugMessage<E> {
     ///
     /// let subject = Foo { hello: "World".into() };
     ///
-    /// assert_that!(subject).does_not_have_debug_message("Hello World");
+    /// assert_that!(subject).does_not_have_debug_string("Hello World");
     /// ```
     #[track_caller]
-    fn does_not_have_debug_message(self, expected: E) -> Self;
+    fn does_not_have_debug_string(self, expected: E) -> Self;
 }
 
 /// Assert a type formatted into a display string.
diff --git a/src/equality.rs b/src/equality.rs
index c89678b..cf0b4fd 100644
--- a/src/equality.rs
+++ b/src/equality.rs
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 //! Implementation of the equality assertions.
 
 use crate::assertions::{
-    AssertEquality, AssertHasDebugMessage, AssertHasDisplayMessage, AssertSameAs,
+    AssertEquality, AssertHasDebugString, AssertHasDisplayMessage, AssertSameAs,
 };
 use crate::colored::{mark_diff, mark_diff_str};
 use crate::expectations::{
-    has_debug_message, has_display_message, is_equal_to, is_same_as, not, HasDebugMessage,
+    has_debug_string, has_display_message, is_equal_to, is_same_as, not, HasDebugString,
     HasDisplayMessage, IsEqualTo, IsSameAs,
 };
 use crate::spec::{DiffFormat, Expectation, Expression, FailingStrategy, Invertible, Spec};
@@ -95,22 +95,22 @@ where
 
 impl<E> Invertible for IsSameAs<E> {}
 
-impl<S, E, R> AssertHasDebugMessage<E> for Spec<'_, S, R>
+impl<S, E, R> AssertHasDebugString<E> for Spec<'_, S, R>
 where
     S: Debug,
     E: AsRef<str>,
     R: FailingStrategy,
 {
-    fn has_debug_message(self, expected: E) -> Self {
-        self.expecting(has_debug_message(expected))
+    fn has_debug_string(self, expected: E) -> Self {
+        self.expecting(has_debug_string(expected))
     }
 
-    fn does_not_have_debug_message(self, expected: E) -> Self {
-        self.expecting(not(has_debug_message(expected)))
+    fn does_not_have_debug_string(self, expected: E) -> Self {
+        self.expecting(not(has_debug_string(expected)))
     }
 }
 
-impl<S, E> Expectation<S> for HasDebugMessage<E>
+impl<S, E> Expectation<S> for HasDebugString<E>
 where
     S: Debug,
     E: AsRef<str>,
@@ -131,12 +131,12 @@ where
         let (marked_actual, marked_expected) =
             mark_diff_str(&format!("{actual:?}"), expected, format);
         format!(
-            "expected {expression} to {not}have debug message {expected:?}\n   but was: {marked_actual}\n  expected: {not}{marked_expected}",
+            "expected {expression} to {not}have a debug string equal to {expected:?}\n   but was: {marked_actual}\n  expected: {not}{marked_expected}",
         )
     }
 }
 
-impl<E> Invertible for HasDebugMessage<E> {}
+impl<E> Invertible for HasDebugString<E> {}
 
 impl<S, E, R> AssertHasDisplayMessage<E> for Spec<'_, S, R>
 where
diff --git a/src/error/tests.rs b/src/error/tests.rs
index 0155b2f..1d11bd7 100644
--- a/src/error/tests.rs
+++ b/src/error/tests.rs
@@ -38,28 +38,28 @@ impl Display for SourceError {
 impl Error for SourceError {}
 
 #[test]
-fn error_has_debug_message() {
+fn error_has_debug_string() {
     let error = SuperError {
         source: SourceError::Bar,
     };
 
-    assert_that(error).has_debug_message("SuperError { source: Bar }");
+    assert_that(error).has_debug_string("SuperError { source: Bar }");
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn verify_error_has_debug_message_fails() {
+fn verify_error_has_debug_string_fails() {
     let error = SuperError {
         source: SourceError::Foo,
     };
 
     let failures = verify_that(error)
-        .has_debug_message("SuperError { source: Bar }")
+        .has_debug_string("SuperError { source: Bar }")
         .display_failures();
 
     assert_eq!(
         failures,
         &[
-            r#"expected subject to have debug message "SuperError { source: Bar }"
+            r#"expected subject to have a debug string equal to "SuperError { source: Bar }"
    but was: SuperError { source: Foo }
   expected: SuperError { source: Bar }
 "#
@@ -68,28 +68,28 @@ fn verify_error_has_debug_message_fails() {
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn error_does_not_have_debug_message() {
+fn error_does_not_have_debug_string() {
     let error = SuperError {
         source: SourceError::Bar,
     };
 
-    assert_that(error).does_not_have_debug_message("SuperError { source: Foo }");
+    assert_that(error).does_not_have_debug_string("SuperError { source: Foo }");
 }
 
 #[test]
-fn verify_error_does_not_have_debug_message_fails() {
+fn verify_error_does_not_have_debug_string_fails() {
     let error = SuperError {
         source: SourceError::Bar,
     };
 
     let failures = verify_that(error)
-        .does_not_have_debug_message("SuperError { source: Bar }")
+        .does_not_have_debug_string("SuperError { source: Bar }")
         .display_failures();
 
     assert_eq!(
         failures,
         &[
-            r#"expected subject to not have debug message "SuperError { source: Bar }"
+            r#"expected subject to not have a debug string equal to "SuperError { source: Bar }"
    but was: SuperError { source: Bar }
   expected: not SuperError { source: Bar }
 "#
diff --git a/src/expectations.rs b/src/expectations.rs
index ccc4c6d..13e1b71 100644
--- a/src/expectations.rs
+++ b/src/expectations.rs
@@ -637,12 +637,12 @@ pub struct ErrorHasSourceMessage {
     pub expected_source_message: String,
 }
 
-/// Creates a [`HasDebugMessage`] expectation.
-pub fn has_debug_message<E>(expected: E) -> HasDebugMessage<E> {
-    HasDebugMessage { expected }
+/// Creates a [`HasDebugString`] expectation.
+pub fn has_debug_string<E>(expected: E) -> HasDebugString<E> {
+    HasDebugString { expected }
 }
 
-pub struct HasDebugMessage<E> {
+pub struct HasDebugString<E> {
     pub expected: E,
 }