unease

noun

un·​ease ˌən-ˈēz 

: mental or spiritual discomfort: such as

a

: vague dissatisfaction : misgiving

b

: anxiety, disquiet

c

: lack of ease (as in social relations) : embarrassment

Synonyms of unease

• concern
• fear
• anxiety
• worry
• concernment
• uneasiness

Examples of unease in a Sentence

A feeling of unease came over her.

They noticed increasing signs of unease among the workers.

Recent Examples on the Web

Declassified British documents from the 1960s revealed government unease over the presence of the micronation, as well as eventually shelved plans to bomb it. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 June 2026

Over several years, Williams and the team explored how avatars modeled on West African masks were able to avoid the uncanny valley, that unease people feel when something almost-human turns out not to be. — Benjamin Wolff, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026

Frowning, fidgeting, and exchanging furtive glances—the crowd’s unease was palpable. — Benjamin Skuse, IEEE Spectrum, 25 June 2026

People's own lack of familiarity with data centers contributes to their unease about having one in their local area. — Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News, 24 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unease

• agrees
• appease
• bougies
• burmese
• chemise
• chickpeas
• chinese
• cowpeas
• curies
• decrees
• degrees
• disease