ill at ease

adjective

Definition of ill at easenext
as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty I'm usually ill at ease when addressing a large crowd of people

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ill at ease Both were a byword, too, for male beauty, fully alive to the almost laughable impact of their handsomeness, yet ill at ease, now and then, with their perches on the pedestal. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025 Maurice, who had a troubled childhood marked by illness and emotional neglect, was negative and socially ill at ease. — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2025 In her mind, the community in her fictional story should be one of privilege, a circumstance in which Ruth, who grew up in a working-class Yiddish family, could initially feel ill at ease. — Esther Zuckerman, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025 The young man may be introverted or otherwise socially ill at ease. — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ill at ease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill at ease
  1. worried
  2. upset
  3. anxious
  4. nervous
  5. troubled
  6. uneasy
Adjective
  • Trump’s approval ratings, however, are at an all-time low, and the party is worried about MAGA voters not turning out in large numbers.
    — Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 10 Sep. 2026
  • There’s a generational gap in the concerns, with people increasingly worried about younger generations and entry-level jobs getting eaten by AI.
    — Beatrice Nolan, Fortune, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of worried
Adjective
  • Bayern Munich also play Thursday, hosting Bodo/Glimt, who last season knocked out Inter in a huge last-32 upset.
    — Leon Imber, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The seven-time Grand Slam champion ultimately fell to Shelton in the thrilling upset, 6-7(5-7), 6-1, 6-3, 1-6, 7-6 (10-7).
    — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of upset
Adjective
  • That feels very much in tune with the anxious characters Eisenberg has played over the course of his acting career, but this whole directing thing is working out nicely for him, too.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Nelson remembers hushing her foster children back to sleep that night and calling 911, anxious for an end to those sleepless nights.
    — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of anxious
Adjective
  • People were understandably very nervous about being on camera, letting a camera into the room.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Vinny, short for Vincent van Gogh, gets nervous and prefers shorter, quieter walks, and Macaroni, named after Fleetwood Mac, makes the stroller a tight squeeze for two cats.
    — Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of nervous
Adjective
  • The public reckonings with these figures’ legacies—the troubled former child star gone too soon, the beloved icon, the cult favorite, the complicated eccentric—have come in a cascade.
    — Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2026
  • In the last decade Germany has sheltered millions of refugees, mainly from Syria and other troubled countries in the Middle East.
    — Erik Kirschbaum, Los Angeles Times, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of troubled
Adjective
  • Vingegaard placed second and Roglič third, completing a historic-but-uneasy single-team podium.
    — Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • In this tense, uneasy landscape, a separated couple, Natalie and Asher, reunite to take their child, Logan, on a trip to tour colleges in both territories.
    — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of uneasy

Browse Nearby Words

ill-advised
ill at ease
illaudable
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ill at ease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill%20at%20ease. Accessed 15 Sep. 2026.

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