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.
But, experts say, this is one horribly uncomfortable — and potentially dangerous — way to shed a few pounds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
Those infected may be asymptomatic or experience uncomfortable symptoms, including “watery diarrhea with frequent and sometimes explosive bowel movements.”
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
He stands awkwardly, like he doesn’t know what to do with his limbs, seeming uncomfortable in his own studio, as if doubting his right to be there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
MRI exams can be lengthy and uncomfortable, particularly when scans need to be repeated because important anatomical details are difficult to capture.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
There’s an uncomfortable pause, then her surprise morphs into anger.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
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.
