uncomfortable

adjective

un·​com·​fort·​able

ˌən-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tər-bəl,

-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tə-bəl,

-ˈkəm(p)-fər-tə-bəl 

-ˈkəm(p)-fə-tə-bəl,

-ˈkəm-fər-bəl,

-ˈkəm-fə-bəl

1

: causing discomfort or annoyance

an uncomfortable chair

an uncomfortable performance

2

: feeling discomfort : uneasy

was uncomfortable with them

uncomfortably

ˌən-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tər-blē

-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tə-blē

-ˈkəm(p)-fər-tə-blē 

-ˈkəm(p)-fə-tə-blē

-ˈkəm-fər-blē

-ˈkəm-fə-blē

adverb

Synonyms

• comfortless
• discomforting
• harsh

Example Sentences

You look uncomfortable in that chair. Would you like to sit here instead?

The silence went on so long that it became very uncomfortable.

We were in the uncomfortable position of asking for money.

I was uncomfortable about talking to them.

She's uncomfortable being in the spotlight.

Recent Examples on the Web

But Agnes was uncomfortable with the prospect of a relationship that had lost its aspirational character. —Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 6 Mar. 2023

Some viewers will be uncomfortable with all the questionable parenting, though the show is careful to present Iris as in more ethical danger than anything physical. —Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Mar. 2023

Too big, and your feet will slosh around, feeling uncomfortable with every movement, especially when hiking downhill. —Emma Seymour, Good Housekeeping, 17 Feb. 2023

For riders who are uncomfortable with that or cannot physically fit, some Tron trains are outfitted with a more traditional bench seat in the back, Disney says. —Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 16 Feb. 2023

Some European officials, too, were uncomfortable with the Trump administration's talk of militarizing space. —Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 7 Feb. 2023

Similarly, the outsider can raise touchy questions that might be too uncomfortable for an insider. —Adrian Dearnell, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2023

These circumstances were no less uncomfortable for either of us, and cemented our friendship. —Eviana Hartman, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2023

His daughter is trying to bravely break that cycle, and initiate a conversation that may be uncomfortable for adults and children alike, having created the GoFundMe page on Jan. 23. —Los Angeles Times, 10 Feb. 2023

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Word History

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

uncomfortable

adjective

un·​com·​fort·​able ˌən-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tə(r)-bəl 

-ˈkəm(p)-fə(r)t-ə-bəl,

ˈən-

1

: causing discomfort

an uncomfortable chair

2

: feeling discomfort : uneasy

uncomfortably

-blē 

adverb