1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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

Relevance

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 While the celebration continues in Ann Arbor, there remain all sorts of uncomfortable questions for Whittingham, who was supposed to be the steady hand Michigan needed. — Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026 Pearce is restrained but powerful as the ultra-conservative Murdoch who is uncomfortable with some of Lamb’s more outrageous tactics. — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026 In 2019, another woman reported that Odell drove her to his home, and made uncomfortable comments about a massage table and her body, the affidavit reads. — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026 That is an uncomfortable turn for markets that are already seeing signs of a competition for capital between the flood of deficit spending and the surge of debt issuance funding the buildout of artificial intelligence. — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 4 Sep. 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
  • Avoid acidic cleaners like vinegar or lemon, as well as harsh chemicals and abrasive tools, to protect the glaze.
    — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The frustration within the Democratic caucus immediately prompted some calls for harsh consequences.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • The issue became particularly embarrassing for the league because teams had previously been punished for using unauthorized charter flights.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Paying your old pal seven figures to hand you an embarrassing loss.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Adjective
  • Sam Altman is leading OpenAI through perhaps the most consequential—and uneasy—moment in artificial intelligence yet.
    — Fortune Editors, Fortune, 15 Sep. 2026
  • In a desperate race against time, Rosalind and Sean are forced into an uneasy alliance, fighting to save her husband and expose a global trafficking empire that eliminates anyone who tries to stop it.
    — Alex Ritman, Variety, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • Sophomore Duke Clark impressed with 65 yards and a touchdown on eight carries, while explosive Cincinnati transfer Evan Pryor, sidelined by a sore hip, should eventually be a factor.
    — Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
  • The two-month conflict, which killed 649 Argentine troops, 255 British service members and three islanders, remains a sore point in Argentina more than four decades later.
    — Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of sore
Adjective
  • Jaissle sees Murphy as offering more this season than Woltemade, who is clearly an awkward stylistic fit, and so those decisions were made.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, all new members, will be there, introducing fresh tensions into the agenda and some awkward photo calls.
    — Ian Bremmer, Time, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of awkward
Adjective
  • Such attempts to touch on the highly personal connections people have to Oasis’s music feel clumsy and forced, especially when juxtaposed with the brothers’ rather anonymous comments.
    — Elena Lazic, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026
  • After meeting at a society reception, Henry sets out to marry Henrietta, an endearingly clumsy, overly apologetic botanist with ambitions of discovering a new species of fern.
    — Air Mail, Air Mail, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • For the film, Hossain said that Badhon called in her real doctor to inject her during a scene where her character undergoes painful platelet-rich plasma injections.
    — Ritesh Mehta, IndieWire, 5 Sep. 2026
  • And meager pay raises have made rising prices more painful for many.
    — Paul Wiseman, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of painful
Adjective
  • Self-interrogation, of course, is often unpleasant and is not a prescription that is likely to sell many books.
    — Meghan O’Gieblyn, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026
  • There was a lot of work on the medical cases to make the investigations complex and realistic, but there was also an entry point built around a strong, funny, unpleasant character, completely at odds with her return to her roots.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of unpleasant

Browse Nearby Words

uncomely
uncomfortable
uncomfortably
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Uncomfortable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncomfortable. Accessed 16 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of facsimile

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All