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

The character of Erika, a writer and intellectual with her own range of uneasy connections to Germany—she’ll encounter an ex-husband and an ex-lover there—is a screenwriter’s convenience, a walking plot-production machine. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2026

Giving team members insight into what is known, what remains unchanged and what may come next can help people navigate uneasy periods of uncertainty with greater confidence. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026

Experts say Chinese officials likely felt uneasy about that opening. — ABC News, 14 Oct. 2026

An uneasy quiet took over the boat as customers waited for another catch. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 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