ˌən-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tər-bəl
1
as in harsh
causing discomfort
unfortunately, dressing up for the dance meant wearing an uncomfortable shirt
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in embarrassing
causing embarrassment
the uncomfortable situation of running into an ex-friend at a social gathering
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in uneasy
lacking social grace and assurance
a person who is uncomfortable at parties with lots of strangers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of uncomfortable
But her unruly secrets reflect the uncomfortable truths that are so often hidden in our own histories.
—
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 27 June 2025
Read their body language and allow for silence, which may feel uncomfortable.
—Julia Sullivan, USA Today, 24 June 2025
The family lives on the 18th floor of a high-rise building and getting into the underground garage that doubles as a bomb shelter during Russian attacks is an uncomfortable experience.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 15 June 2025
The other panelists and the show's host all tried to move past the comedian's uncomfortable move and go on with the show.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncomfortable
Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 27 June 2025
Read their body language and allow for silence, which may feel uncomfortable.
—Julia Sullivan, USA Today, 24 June 2025
The family lives on the 18th floor of a high-rise building and getting into the underground garage that doubles as a bomb shelter during Russian attacks is an uncomfortable experience.
—Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 15 June 2025
The other panelists and the show's host all tried to move past the comedian's uncomfortable move and go on with the show.
—Julia Moore, People.com, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncomfortable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncomfortable
Adjective
-
Come spring, the Ranger III carries everything from outhouses and diesel fuel for the generators to construction supplies to repair whatever damage Mother Nature did to facilities over the harsh winter.—
Diana Lambdin Meyer,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
-
The United States and Europe must finally sever all economic ties with Russia (e.g., nuclear partnerships) and impose harsher sanctions on Russia and secondary sanctions so that China and others face consequences for their support of the war.—
Laura Thornton,
Twin Cities,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
The Moskva missile cruiser, the flagship of the Black Sea Fleet, was destroyed by Ukraine in the early days of the war, dealing an embarrassing blow to Putin.—
Isabel van Brugen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
-
In an interview Wednesday on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Idris — who plays a rookie Formula One driver named Joshua Pearce — recalled an embarrassing moment while shooting opposite his F1 costar Brad Pitt, who plays Pearce's mentor, Sonny Hayes.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
Edan Lui of Hong Kong boy band Mirror will also make his Korean drama debut in the new season, joining the cast in a role that pairs him in an uneasy alliance with Kim Do-gi.—
Patrick Brzeski,
HollywoodReporter,
25 June 2025
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Repeatedly returning to themes of globalization and alienation, the 55-year-old director has meticulously chronicled his country’s uneasy plunge into the 21st century as rampant industrialization risks deadening those left behind.—
Tim Grierson,
Los Angeles Times,
20 June 2025
Adjective
-
The spa menu boasts a long list of bodywork treatments options, including the fire & ice massage, which soothes sore muscles with a combination of hot stones and cooling recovery balm, facials and body scrubs using ingredients from the forest, and a fireside massage package for two.—
Elizabeth Brownfield,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
-
In a picturesque suburban neighborhood, the ashen structure sticks out like a sore thumb.—
Sam Blum,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
Regional flashpoints have now put China in an awkward position.—
Wesley Alexander Hill,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2025
-
At times awkward, but mostly gorgeous, catchy and sincere.—
Darian Sahanaja,
Variety,
15 June 2025
Adjective
-
Herbert includes a range of moments, from earnest attempts to talk about the enslaved people that maintained all these palatial homes to clumsier ones in which they are referred to as workers, insinuating that their labor was paid for instead of forced.—
Lovia Gyarkye,
HollywoodReporter,
20 June 2025
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The aftermath of Virginia’s clumsy tumble into a rose bed where her exposed cleavage is profusely pricked by thorns lasts for all of one scene.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
16 June 2025
Adjective
-
Once Schaefer’s emotional moment was done, the rest of the conversations ranged from mildly awkward to borderline painful.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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Their venom, similar to a bee’s or wasp’s, results in a painful, itchy pustule or blister on the skin.—
Gareth McGrath,
USA Today,
28 June 2025
Adjective
-
Diana, for example, when anything unpleasant was said in her presence, would slowly blink her eyes in an incredible act of denial.—
Rosemary Counter,
Time,
25 June 2025
-
Some of these vitamins have quality issues, like a fishy or unpleasant taste.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Uncomfortable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncomfortable. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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