Synonyms
Examples of ill at ease in a Sentence
He seemed ill at ease when we spoke with him.
I'm usually ill at ease when addressing a large crowd of people.
Recent Examples on the Web
Cinderella also becomes more ill at ease in the already-bad bosom of her lousy step-family (Jennifer Simard, Tess Soltau, Amy Hillner Larson) and falls into the arms — and independent mind — of rogue Original Fairy Godmother (Brooke Dillman).
—
A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 22 June 2023
Everyone’s talking about it, or feeling ill at ease for knowing nothing about it.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes, 5 May 2023
The lawsuits portray Yao as presiding over a museum rife with comments and actions that made women ill at ease.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2023
But still, many of us are ill at ease.
—Your Fat Friend, SELF, 16 Apr. 2021
Yet as her boyfriend condescendingly natters on and on and posts his pics on TikTok, Lynn looks vaguely ill at ease, not entirely with the program, and not just because of the persistent pain in her breast.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2023
This time, Jon’s the one fidgety and ill at ease.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2021
Peacock, talented, attractive, amatory, and a good friend to the bohemian Shelley circle, married, rather surprisingly, a Welsh parson’s daughter, Jane Gryffydh, who was ill at ease in London and developed life-long mental illness after the death of one of her children.
—Hermione Lee, The New York Review of Books, 17 Nov. 2020
To his moral credit, Levy often seems as ill at ease with luxury as with the prospect of a night walk through the rainforest or getting into a helicopter.
—Robert Lloydtelevision Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2023
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A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 22 June 2023
Everyone’s talking about it, or feeling ill at ease for knowing nothing about it.
—Bill Conerly, Forbes, 5 May 2023
The lawsuits portray Yao as presiding over a museum rife with comments and actions that made women ill at ease.
—Thomas Floyd, Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2023
But still, many of us are ill at ease.
—Your Fat Friend, SELF, 16 Apr. 2021
Yet as her boyfriend condescendingly natters on and on and posts his pics on TikTok, Lynn looks vaguely ill at ease, not entirely with the program, and not just because of the persistent pain in her breast.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2023
This time, Jon’s the one fidgety and ill at ease.
—Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 12 Sep. 2021
Peacock, talented, attractive, amatory, and a good friend to the bohemian Shelley circle, married, rather surprisingly, a Welsh parson’s daughter, Jane Gryffydh, who was ill at ease in London and developed life-long mental illness after the death of one of her children.
—Hermione Lee, The New York Review of Books, 17 Nov. 2020
To his moral credit, Levy often seems as ill at ease with luxury as with the prospect of a night walk through the rainforest or getting into a helicopter.
—Robert Lloydtelevision Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ill at ease.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of ill at ease was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near ill at ease
Cite this Entry
“Ill at ease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ill%20at%20ease. Accessed 24 Sep. 2023.
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Kids Definition
ill at ease
adjective
: feeling uncomfortable
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