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 Very deep or uncomfortable pressure can do the opposite and push the body into a fight-or-flight response. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026 An employee may feel obliged to listen, reassure or reciprocate even when uncomfortable. — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026 Recently, a middle-aged woman came to see me in my ophthalmology clinic because her eyes felt gritty and uncomfortable. — Joshua R. Ehrlich, The Conversation, 1 Oct. 2026 Don’t avoid uncomfortable realities; addressing them head-on will spare you unwelcome surprises later. — Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 1 Oct. 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
  • The European Commission has set an October deadline for progress in the negotiations, as France and Germany push for harsher measures.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Dehydrated skin is typically caused by dry air, harsh skin care, or the weather.
    — Kara Nesvig, Allure, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of harsh
Adjective
  • Kip Dellinger Santa Monica Desman Stephens’ response to his late hit on quarterback Dante Moore was an embarrassing display of poor judgment and a lack of respect for the game.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Oct. 2026
  • His party’s retreat comes after a series of embarrassing election showings in which the far-right AfD made huge inroads.
    — Ashley Gold, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Adjective
  • An uneasy calm prevailed along the border Friday, with no new fighting reported.
    — MUNIR AHMED, Arkansas Online, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Their battles for influence, image and desire, in a Spain on the brink of collapse, are observed and narrated with fierce irony by Francisco de Goya, an uneasy witness who turns palace intrigue into a surprisingly contemporary mirror.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • The 43-year-old right-hander was making his second start of the year and first since March 30 in a season derailed by a sore hip and hamstring injury.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 27 Sep. 2026
  • Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno won the NL batting title despite being scratched about an hour before first pitch with a sore hamstring.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of sore
Adjective
  • The payoff is that bulky, awkward items like pot lids and foil boxes stop monopolizing a shelf and become easy to grab.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Within this awkward relic of several other ages, New York’s past gets fetishized, chopped up, and whirled together into digestible entertainment.
    — Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of awkward
Adjective
  • One of the clumsiest parts of Klosterman’s book is his attempts at political punditry.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Feed your head Neagley gets off to a sluggish start, with a workmanlike, rather clumsy first episode largely spent establishing the main characters and central plot—and the writers lean a bit too hard on constant Chicago callbacks.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of clumsy
Adjective
  • After the Great Depression, school districts revisited the idea during the energy crisis of the 1970s, following the 1973 Arab oil embargo and the painful years of stagflation that followed.
    — Muskaan Arshad, Fortune, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Continue reading … -- IN OTHER NEWS HIDDEN ILLNESS — Country star reveals the painful symptom that led to cancer diagnosis.
    — , FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of painful
Adjective
  • As unpleasant as his job might be at the moment, Harbaugh is ostensibly safe.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Depriving the plant of light discourages the development of chlorophyll—the green plant pigment responsible for color—and rids the chicory of an unpleasant flavor.
    — Tamar Adler, Vogue, 29 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 6 Oct. 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 regimen

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

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

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
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
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All