uncomfortable

adjective

un·​com·​fort·​able
ˌən-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tər-bəl
-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tə-bəl
-ˈkəm(p)-fər-tə-bəl How to pronounce uncomfortable (audio)
-ˈkəm(p)-fə-tə-bəl
-ˈkəm-fər-bəl
-ˈkəm-fə-bəl
Synonyms of uncomfortablenext
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 How to pronounce uncomfortable (audio)
-ˈkəm(p)-fə-tə-blē
-ˈkəm-fər-blē
-ˈkəm-fə-blē
adverb

Examples of uncomfortable in a Sentence

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
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.
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 The character is composed of only the broadest of strokes, thinly defined by toughness, trauma, and uncomfortable motherhood, runoff of the stew that formed characters like Ripley. Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 4 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 See All Example Sentences for uncomfortable

Word History

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of uncomfortable was in 1573

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Cite this Entry

“Uncomfortable.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/uncomfortable. Accessed 7 Sep. 2026.

Kids Definition

uncomfortable

adjective
un·​com·​fort·​able ˌən-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tə(r)-bəl How to pronounce uncomfortable (audio)
-ˈkəm(p)-fə(r)t-ə-bəl
ˈən-
1
: causing discomfort
an uncomfortable chair
2
: feeling discomfort : uneasy
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