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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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.
"I am part of this culture, of secular culture, and I feel very connected to my country and don't feel uncomfortable at all," he said, adding that "there is no hostility" toward his church.
From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026
"There are people… even if it requires getting a little uncomfortable and vulnerable and putting yourself out there," she said.
From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026
But the situation suggested “at least some members of the committee were uncomfortable with so little forward guidance that markets were getting ahead of where the committee wanted to go.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
But I’ve never been more uncomfortable, honestly, in my life, walking in front of a group of people after watching their university put out a post, basically dogging me just moments before.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 27, 2026
But I think I was nervous also because she had a way of looking at me that I found quite uncomfortable, at first.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
