uncomfortable

adjective

ˌən-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tər-bəl
Definition of uncomfortablenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 uncomfortable Stephen Galloway, dean of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts and the former executive editor of the Hollywood Reporter, sees Tilly occupying an uncomfortable middle ground. — Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026 Forensic pathology lives in the margins, often seen as uncomfortable or even a little taboo. — Gregory McDonald, STAT, 13 July 2026 Watts said the structure helps remove pressure from people who may feel uncomfortable introducing themselves to a room full of strangers. — Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026 Periods may feel more uncomfortable, while hot flushes and night sweats are more likely for perimenopausal and menopausal women. — Will Barker, TheWeek, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for uncomfortable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncomfortable
  1. harsh
  2. embarrassing
  3. uneasy
  4. sore
  5. awkward
  6. clumsy
  7. painful
  8. unpleasant
Adjective
  • Wear rubber gloves because the cleaning ingredients are harsh, and scrub the inside of the oven door.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 11 July 2026
  • Pioneer Girl was considered too harsh about the realities of frontier life.
    — Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 11 July 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • Saying as much, then visibly tightening that process with its haulage partners, is how an embarrassing accident becomes evidence that someone is actually minding the shop.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • The embarrassing display was especially difficult for the scores of young performers who had been at the show’s lavish world premiere in Los Angeles just weeks before and who had considered the project their big break.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Adjective
  • But as mainstream coverage of looksmaxxing continues and people like Clavicular are platformed by the fashion establishment, professionals across the beauty ecosystem are still uneasy.
    — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
  • Politics and sport have always been uneasy bedfellows, but until recently referees and other sport officials have rarely been dragged into the public discourse.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • Also Wednesday, the team scratched shortstop Mookie Betts from the starting lineup because of a sore right wrist.
    — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 2 July 2026
  • Guests who get after it on Vail’s ski slopes and hiking and biking trails can book a CBD massage or pop into the self-care lounge and soothe sore muscles with Hyperice massage guns and Normatec leg compression sleeves.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 July 2026
Definition of sore
Adjective
  • Experts note that old brand safety rules are being recalibrated; the key is for brands to align authentically with the show's energy without appearing awkward.
    — Toni Fitzgerald, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026
  • Suki, a vocal Black woman with an at times vulgar persona, whereas Althoff, a white woman, gained a reputation as an awkward, seemingly timid interviewer on her The Really Good Podcast.
    — Meagan Jordan, VIBE.com, 10 July 2026
Definition of awkward
Adjective
  • But more broadly, as streaming became the dominant way audiences consume entertainment, a shelf full of stuff started to look like a relic of a clumsier time that most folks were happy to forget.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
  • The decision last fall followed clumsy discussion by Kennedy’s dubiously qualified advisors, who make up the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
    — Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 10 July 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • Biomimicked medical glue, inspired by the slime of a common garden slug (Arion subfuscus), can bond to bloody tissue and holds great promise for surgical applications and the treatment of painful lesions.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 10 July 2026
  • For the past two decades, since I’d endured a painful divorce, the New York Times daily puzzle has been my source of comfort.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Definition of painful
Adjective
  • Anyone concerned about coming down with this very unpleasant sickness should avoid lettuces for the time being, says Rabia de Latour, a gastroenterologist at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine.
    — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 15 July 2026
  • Like them, his music seesaws between aggressive and playful, between crowd-pleasing and purposefully unpleasant.
    — Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 14 July 2026
Definition of unpleasant

Browse Nearby Words

uncomely
uncomfortable
uncomfortably
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Cite this Entry

“Uncomfortable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncomfortable. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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