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
The situation became even more uncomfortable when his child attempted to bond with her.
—
Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
No matter how clean and organized your house is, having a stranger clean your space can feel a little uncomfortable, at least at first.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2025
Solving a problem as large as climate change requires confronting uncomfortable truths.
—Anna Broughel, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025
And like Jenny, many find the question weird, uncomfortable, and downright inappropriate.
—Julia Ries Wexler, SELF, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncomfortable
Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 29 Oct. 2025
No matter how clean and organized your house is, having a stranger clean your space can feel a little uncomfortable, at least at first.
—Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2025
Solving a problem as large as climate change requires confronting uncomfortable truths.
—Anna Broughel, Forbes.com, 29 Oct. 2025
And like Jenny, many find the question weird, uncomfortable, and downright inappropriate.
—Julia Ries Wexler, SELF, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for uncomfortable
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uncomfortable
Adjective
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According to the woman, her parents’ reasoning for denying her requests was rooted in a harsh lesson about independence.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
26 Oct. 2025
-
Instead of buying special cleaners or reaching for harsh chemicals to clean around your home, look to your medicine cabinet for a solution.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
But for Dylan, going from Jew to Jesus freak—however slack a Jew he’d been—was no more questionable or embarrassing to him than going from acoustic to electric.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
-
The Panthers are coming off an embarrassing 40-9 loss to the Buffalo Bills.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Across its run, The Witcher has traced the uneasy bond between Geralt of Rivia (Liam Hemsworth), the monster hunter bound by destiny; Ciri (Freya Allan), the princess whose power could save or destroy worlds; and Yennefer (Anya Chalotra), the sorceress torn between ambition and love.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
30 Oct. 2025
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In the Odyssey, Homer depicts Helen and Menelaus’s reunion as uneasy and sometimes tearful, after years of estrangement.—
Elizabeth D. Samet,
Foreign Affairs,
29 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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And then, sticking out like a sore thumb amidst all these names, is Mamukelashvili.—
John Hollinger,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The cool temperature may also soothe sore gums.—
Lindsay Curtis,
Health,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Frederick Wherry, Kristin Seefeldt, and Anthony Alvarez examine the strategies potential lenders use to make these interactions less awkward.—
JSTOR Daily,
JSTOR Daily,
27 Oct. 2025
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Talk about awkward reunions at unlikely places, if this does happen.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
26 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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What resulted is one of the most comic, counterproductive, and clumsy episodes in the long history of British efforts to deal with Ireland.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
29 Oct. 2025
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So, how did Musk go from a champion of the internet’s go-to reference resource to this clumsy attempt at killing it?—
Miles Klee,
Rolling Stone,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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The murder scene was so gruesome and painful to process that the community simply burnt the house down.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Oct. 2025
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Fumbling with the plastic nubs can be painful and frustrating.—
Zoe Gates,
Outside,
28 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Garbage disposals can flush away food debris on pots and pans in a flash, but anyone who owns one of these devices knows that unpleasant smells are a regular occurrence.—
Taylor Tobin,
Southern Living,
30 Oct. 2025
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If potatoes get too cold, the tubers turn black or become mushy, grainy, and unpleasant to eat.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Uncomfortable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uncomfortable. Accessed 2 Nov. 2025.
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