1
: causing physical or mental discomfort
Uneasy news of captures and killings …—
Marjory S. Douglas
Marjory S. Douglas2
: not easy : difficult
3
: marked by lack of ease : awkward, embarrassed
gave an uneasy laugh
4
: apprehensive, worried
uneasy about the weather
6
: precarious, unstable
an uneasy truce
uneasiness
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
Irwin Edman
c
: restlessness, instability
the misery and uneasiness of the incompletely assimilated—Edward Shils
Edward Shils
d
: physical discomfort : malaise, queasiness
conscious of a certain uneasiness in the organs—Arnold Bennett
Arnold Bennett
e
: awkwardness
uneasiness of diction—R. W. Southern
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
Samuel RichardsonExamples 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
Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 17 June 2026
But many still feel uneasy about their jobs and are not engaged in the workplace.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 June 2026
Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2022
As prosecutors moved to drop charges against Mr. Watts, the man who had made Ms. Francisco uneasy returned to her shop on Jan. 4.
—New York Times, 4 Feb. 2021
See All Example Sentences for uneasy
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Adjective
The decision comes after weeks of mounting pressure from Democrats, voting rights groups and even some uneasy Republicans who warned that reopening redistricting could energize Democratic voters and overshadow a pivotal stretch of the campaign season.
—Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 17 June 2026
But many still feel uneasy about their jobs and are not engaged in the workplace.
—Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 17 June 2026
Adverb
Master has a stew of storylines that don’t always perfectly blend together, but I was impressed by how effective and uneasy-making its mood remained all the way to the end.
—Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 4 Feb. 2022
As prosecutors moved to drop charges against Mr. Watts, the man who had made Ms. Francisco uneasy returned to her shop on Jan. 4.
—New York Times, 4 Feb. 2021
See All Example Sentences for uneasy
Cite this Entry
“Uneasy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uneasy. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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