uncomfortable

[ uhn-kuhmf-tuh-buhl, -kuhm-fer-tuh-buhl ]

/ ʌnˈkʌmf tə bəl, -ˈkʌm fər tə bəl /

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See synonyms for uncomfortable on Thesaurus.com

adjective

causing discomfort or distress; painful; irritating.

in a state of discomfort; uneasy; conscious of stress or strain.

OTHER WORDS FOR uncomfortable

2 awkward, nervous, discomfited, strained.

See synonyms for uncomfortable on Thesaurus.com

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ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

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True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

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Origin of uncomfortable

First recorded in 1585–95; un-¹ + comfortable

OTHER WORDS FROM uncomfortable

un·com·fort·a·ble·ness, nounun·com·fort·a·bly, adverb

Words nearby uncomfortable

uncoil, uncoined, uncollateralized, uncollected, uncollectible, uncomfortable, uncommercial, uncommitted, uncommon, uncommonly, uncommunicable

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use uncomfortable in a sentence

I try not to bring up anything positive about my life with her, because then she says things that make me uncomfortable.
Miss Manners: Time to cut ties with longtime friend?|Judith Martin, Nicholas Martin, Jacobina Martin|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
The second group would be paid more if they made their partner uncomfortable.
Can I Ask You a Ridiculously Personal Question? (Ep. 451)|Stephen J. Dubner|February 11, 2021|Freakonomics
Those things forced the GOP into very uncomfortable conversations about what their party should be.
The GOP: the new know-nothing party|Aaron Blake|February 4, 2021|Washington Post
The fact that I had basically gone my entire life without ever even touching a dead body meant that I had a very uncomfortable relationship being in the presence of a dead body.
How to Be Better at Death (Ep. 450)|Maria Konnikova|February 4, 2021|Freakonomics

Any type of wetness will increase the rate at which heat leaves your body and will be uncomfortable.
Best winter gloves: Our picks for touch screen gloves, ski gloves, and more|PopSci Commerce Team|February 2, 2021|Popular-Science
Even in the medieval era this disparity made Christians uncomfortable.
Oops! Jesus’ Last Steps Are in the Wrong Place|Candida Moss|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
ThinkProgress calls the premise “uncomfortable and vaguely sad.”
Your Husband Is Definitely Gay: TLC’s Painful Portrait of Mormonism|Samantha Allen|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
That is a distinction with a sociological difference—for many, an uncomfortable one to consider.
No Gods, No Cops, No Masters|James Poulos|January 1, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Because holy hell was that bland, unfunny, uncomfortable, and just plain confusing.
The Biggest Bombs of 2014: ‘Sex Tape,’ Mariah Carey’s Vocals, ‘How I Met Your Mother’ and More|Kevin Fallon|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He said he thought his investigation was “too uncomfortable.”
Victim: I Watched British MPs Rape and Murder Young Boys|Nico Hines|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Bernard was uncomfortable enough not to care to be mocked; but he felt even more sorry that Gordon should be.
Confidence|Henry James
Shortly after she came to her lesson limping, and remarked that she felt very uncomfortable.
Children's Ways|James Sully
It took me back to Burma and a certain very uncomfortable night that I once passed in the jungle.
Uncanny Tales|Various
It stands up so high at the back of her neck I should think it would feel very uncomfortable.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin|Mary Hazelton Wade
But there was something about the chilly expression in her eyes that made Delancy feel decidedly uncomfortable.
Hooded Detective, Volume III No. 2, January, 1942|Various

British Dictionary definitions for uncomfortable

uncomfortable

/ (ʌnˈkʌmftəbəl) /

adjective

not comfortable

feeling or causing discomfort or unease; disquieting

Derived forms of uncomfortable

uncomfortableness, noununcomfortably, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

uncomfortable

OTHER WORDS FOR uncomfortable

Origin of uncomfortable

OTHER WORDS FROM uncomfortable

Words nearby uncomfortable

Words related to uncomfortable

How to use uncomfortable in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for uncomfortable

Derived forms of uncomfortable