adjective
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not comfortable
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feeling or causing discomfort or unease; disquieting
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of uncomfortable
First recorded in 1585–95; un- 1 + comfortable
Explanation
If it's very hot or very cold in the room, chances are you are going to feel uncomfortable or ill-at-ease. The word uncomfortable comes from the prefix un- meaning "not" and comfortable meaning "affording comfort." When something is uncomfortable, it doesn't allow you to relax. A hard chair can be uncomfortable. So can a tense situation in which two people are arguing. Someone can make you feel uncomfortable by saying something inappropriate.
Vocabulary lists containing uncomfortable
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 12–15
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un-
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un-
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Calling it a “hardship” can make people feel uncomfortable and a bit desperate.
From MarketWatch • May 1, 2026
However, there had been concerns a worsening relationship between the UK and the US could make for an uncomfortable visit.
From BBC • May 1, 2026
It’s another one of the deeply uncomfortable yet utterly mesmerizing scenes the show excels in, and it’s easy to understand why Campbell would struggle.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
A big question will be whether Ternus has "the appetite for the kind of bold, occasionally uncomfortable decisions" that defining an Apple AI platform will require, said IDC analyst Francisco Jeronimo.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
I had to admit that Daisy was a pretty good nurse but it always made me feel uncomfortable lying there with her fussing around me that way.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
