uneasy

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adjective un·easy \ ˌən-ˈē-zē \

Definition of uneasy

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

gave an uneasy laugh

4 :apprehensive, worried

uneasy about the weather

5 :restless, unquiet

an uneasy night

6 :precarious, unstable

an uneasy truce

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uneasiness

noun

See uneasy defined for English-language learners

See uneasy defined for kids

Examples of uneasy in a Sentence

Rain made the crew uneasy.
He has an uneasy relationship with his father.
We spent an uneasy night waiting for news.

Recent Examples of uneasy from the Web

After Merlino and Natale were sent to prison, Previte was left too exposed to continue his work with the feds and slipped into an uneasy retirement.

— jeremy roebuck, Philly.com, "Ron Previte, wiseguy informant who brought down Philly mob bosses, dead at 73," 29 Aug. 2017
Some variation in the growing season is already making Ron Illingworth uneasy.

— hannah hoag, The Atlantic, "Global Warming Is Threatening Alaska's Prized Wedding Flower," 23 Aug. 2017
Nonetheless, the IRS's use of the Chainalysis software is likely to make some bitcoin owners uneasy.

— jeff john roberts, Fortune, "The IRS Has Special Software to Find Bitcoin Tax Cheats," 22 Aug. 2017
What was once an uneasy governing alliance has curdled into a feud of mutual resentment and sometimes outright hostility.

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "The Trump-McConnell Feud Becoming a ‘Cold War’," 22 Aug. 2017
Race relations between cops and residents are uneasy, at best.

— ailene voisin, sacbee, "Ravens ask for prayers over Kaepernick. Here’s what they should be asking themselves.," 1 Aug. 2017
Many climate scientists are particularly uneasy about the potential for interference by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), one of 13 agencies that must approve the science report before its expected release in November.

— jeff tollefson, Scientific American, "Fears Rise for U.S. Climate Report as Trump Officials Take Reins," 1 Aug. 2017
May’s difficulties have been stacking up since June’s disastrous election resulted in the Conservative Party losing its majority in Parliament and being forced into an uneasy alliance to cling on to power.

— tim ross, Bloomberg.com, "May Loyalists Said to Urge U.K. Prime Minister to Fire Plotters," 18 July 2017
Richardson said Shkreli was revealing information on the social media platform that the company wasn’t ready to announce, which was making the board uneasy.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Ex-mentor testifies, airs Shkreli’s bad, gross, romantically confusing conduct," 13 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'uneasy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of uneasy

14th century

uneasy Synonyms

Synonyms

aflutter, antsy, anxious, atwitter, dithery, edgy, goosey, het up, hinky [slang], hung up, ill at ease, insecure, jittery, jumpy, nervy, perturbed, queasy (also queazy), tense, troubled, nervous, unquiet, upset, uptight, worried

Antonyms

calm, collected, cool, easy, happy-go-lucky, nerveless, relaxed

Near Antonyms

confident, self-assured, self-confident, sure; controlled, self-controlled

uneasy

adverb

Definition of uneasy

:uneasily

First Known Use of uneasy

1596

UNEASY Defined for English Language Learners

uneasy

play

adjective

Definition of uneasy for English Language Learners

: worried or unhappy about something
: likely to change or end : not secure or settled
: awkward and uncomfortable : not relaxed

UNEASY Defined for Kids

uneasy

play

adjective un·easy \ ˌən-ˈē-zē \

Definition of uneasy for Students

uneasier; uneasiest

1 :not comfortable in manner :awkward

Their staring made me uneasy.

2 :showing or filled with worry :apprehensive

He was uneasy before the test.

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uneasily

\-zə-lē\ adverb

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uneasiness

\-zē-nəs\ noun

Learn More about uneasy

See words that rhyme with uneasy Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for uneasy Spanish Central: Translation of uneasy Nglish: Translation of uneasy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of uneasy for Arabic speakers

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uneasy

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