ill at ease

adjective

: not feeling easy : uncomfortable

Examples of ill at ease in a Sentence

He seemed ill at ease when we spoke with him. I'm usually ill at ease when addressing a large crowd of people.
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.
Why is this beautiful woman so ill at ease on her way to church? Brigit Katz, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Jan. 2025 Husband and wife then head to the former’s book launch, where Lidia again feels ill at ease. Hazlitt, 19 Dec. 2024 On the surface, Somebody Somewhere appears to be a fish-out-of-water show, a classic story about someone drifting through a new place, rootless and ill at ease. Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2024 Homesick and ill at ease outside Russia, many were easy targets. Gregory Feifer, Foreign Affairs, 23 Mar. 2015 See all Example Sentences for ill at ease 

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ill at ease was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near ill at ease

Cite this Entry

“Ill at ease.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ill%20at%20ease. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

ill at ease

adjective
: feeling uncomfortable
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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