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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of uncomfortable
During an episode in 2025, the pair said that while Full House was airing, they were often asked an uncomfortable question about Stamos.
—
Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Ambition requires you to be uncomfortable.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Intake can be particularly difficult for neurodivergent people because of congested waiting rooms, traffic, uncomfortable clinical environments and strict schedules.
—Lucy Jones
april 11, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
In the months following surgery, many women are afflicted by post-mastectomy pain syndrome, or PMPS, which spans from uncomfortable to disabling and can last years.
—CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for uncomfortable
Victoria Edel, PEOPLE, 13 Apr. 2026
Ambition requires you to be uncomfortable.
—Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Apr. 2026
Intake can be particularly difficult for neurodivergent people because of congested waiting rooms, traffic, uncomfortable clinical environments and strict schedules.
—Lucy Jones
april 11, Miami Herald, 11 Apr. 2026
In the months following surgery, many women are afflicted by post-mastectomy pain syndrome, or PMPS, which spans from uncomfortable to disabling and can last years.
—CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for uncomfortable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncomfortable
Adjective
-
The lawyers also argue that Combs' sentence was too harsh, saying the trial judge wrongly based it in part on a conclusion that the crimes involved fraud and coercion and that Combs was a leader or organizer of criminal activity.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Focused on a 2021 expedition in which Icelandic climber John Snorri Sigurjónsson and the Pakistani father-and-son team Ali and Sajid Sadpara attempt to become the first to summit K2 in winter, when conditions are at their harshest.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
But this can be pretty embarrassing.—
J.D. Miles,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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Tiger Woods’ rollover crash last week and subsequent DUI charge near his Jupiter Island, Florida, home was shameful and embarrassing enough.—
Doug Turnbull,
AJC.com,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In its blending of ’90s slowcore and post-rock, the Chicago quartet conjures an uneasy reprieve, casting resignation not as a dead end but an inevitable, enviable acceptance.—
Joshua Minsoo Kim,
Pitchfork,
13 Apr. 2026
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Yet others remain uncertain about what the authority of a two-thirds majority will bring, with some uneasy about taking such a mandate from Orbán and delivering it to his opponent.—
Justin Spike,
Fortune,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
My lymph glands became swollen and sore, my entire back broke out in blisters, and a series of blisters appeared on my arm from the wrist almost to the armpit.—
Dr. C. E. Kuschel,
Outdoor Life,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Say goodbye to back pain and sore muscles with the Chirp Wheel XR 3-Pack, your at-home toolkit for extreme relief.—
Tory Johnson,
ABC News,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The few who described speaking with her told me that their interactions had been very brief—just a short, awkward hello.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
13 Apr. 2026
-
Communication can be blunt and awkward.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Even young Oklahoma City required a clumsy postseason audition.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
5 Apr. 2026
-
The driver and his accomplice then mounted a clumsy getaway that resulted in their scooter crashing about three blocks from the scene, cops said.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In parched southern Texas, a yearslong drought has depleted Corpus Christi's water reserves so gravely that the city is scrambling to prevent a shortage that could force painful cutbacks for residents and hobble the refineries and petrochemical plants in a major energy port.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 Apr. 2026
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In parched southern Texas, a yearslong drought has depleted Corpus Christi’s water reserves so gravely that the city is scrambling to prevent a shortage that could force painful cutbacks for residents and hobble the refineries and petrochemical plants in a major energy port.—
Michael Phillis,
Fortune,
12 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
To avoid unpleasant digestive side effects, start by adding 1 tablespoon (or less) to your recipes.—
Kirsten Nunez,
Martha Stewart,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Dahl’s books are fanciful and imaginative, but also dark, cynical, and mean (and, unfortunately, often reflected his real-life ugliness), spinning stories in which gruesome and unpleasant fates befell rotten kids, and adults were frequently selfish, cruel, and not to be trusted.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
10 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Uncomfortable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncomfortable. Accessed 14 Apr. 2026.
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