uneasy

1 of 3

adjective

un·​easy ˌən-ˈē-zē 

1

: causing physical or mental discomfort

Uneasy news of captures and killings …

—Marjory S. Douglas

2

: not easy : difficult

3

: marked by lack of ease : awkward, embarrassed entry 1

gave an uneasy laugh

4

: apprehensive, worried entry 1

uneasy about the weather

5

: restless, unquiet

an uneasy night

6

: precarious, unstable

an uneasy truce

uneasiness noun

uneasy

2 of 3

adverb

: uneasily

uneasiness

3 of 3

noun

un·​easiness

"+

1

: the quality or state of being uneasy:

a

: mental or spiritual discomfort : distress, perturbation

the uneasiness that our most generous … ideals have their roots in childhood guilts

—Irwin Edman

b

: a feeling of worry, apprehension, or foreboding : anxiety, disquiet

reluctant to be awake … her uneasiness amounted almost to alarm

—Jean Stafford

c

: restlessness, instability

the misery and uneasiness of the incompletely assimilated

—Edward Shils

d

: physical discomfort : malaise, queasiness

conscious of a certain uneasiness in the organs

—Arnold Bennett

e

: awkwardness

uneasiness of diction

—R. W. Southern

f

: embarrassment, discomposure

conscious of her uneasiness among these sophisticated women

2

archaic : hardship, vicissitude

without these uneasinesses to mingle with these benefits, I might be too much puffed up

—Samuel Richardson

Synonyms of uneasy

Adjective

• worried
• upset
• anxious
• nervous
• troubled
• apprehensive

Examples of uneasy in a Sentence

Adjective

Rain made the crew uneasy.

He has an uneasy relationship with his father.

We spent an uneasy night waiting for news.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

After the win came the customary celebration — another beer, poured into the championship trophy — but Laseter drank only about half before growing uneasy about how clean the trophy was and handing it to her teammate Pozdol. — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 30 Sep. 2026

An uneasy calm prevailed along the border Friday, with no new fighting reported. — Munir Ahmed, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026

Their battles for influence, image and desire, in a Spain on the brink of collapse, are observed and narrated with fierce irony by Francisco de Goya, an uneasy witness who turns palace intrigue into a surprisingly contemporary mirror. — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026

Ramsey claimed to feel uneasy and had trouble leaving his room. — Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adverb

1596, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing uneasy

• uneasy peace

Rhymes for uneasy

• marchese
• speakeasy
• breezy
• cheesy
• easy
• queasy
• sleazy
• wheezy

Kids Definition

uneasy

adjective

un·​easy

ˌən-ˈē-zē

1

: not easy in manner : awkward

uneasy among strangers

2

: disturbed by pain or worry : restless

rain made the crew uneasy

uneasily

-ˈēz-ə-lē

adverb

uneasiness

-ˈē-zē-nəs

noun