uncomfortable

adjective

un·​com·​fort·​able

ˌən-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tər-bəl,

-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tə-bəl,

-ˈkəm(p)-fər-tə-bəl 

-ˈkəm(p)-fə-tə-bəl,

-ˈkəm-fər-bəl,

-ˈkəm-fə-bəl

1

: causing discomfort or annoyance

an uncomfortable chair

an uncomfortable performance

2

: feeling discomfort : uneasy

was uncomfortable with them

uncomfortably

ˌən-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tər-blē

-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tə-blē

-ˈkəm(p)-fər-tə-blē 

-ˈkəm(p)-fə-tə-blē

-ˈkəm-fər-blē

-ˈkəm-fə-blē

adverb

Synonyms

• comfortless
• discomforting
• harsh

Examples of uncomfortable in a Sentence

You look uncomfortable in that chair. Would you like to sit here instead?

The silence went on so long that it became very uncomfortable.

We were in the uncomfortable position of asking for money.

I was uncomfortable about talking to them.

She's uncomfortable being in the spotlight.

Recent Examples on the Web

Say something that might make some people uncomfortable but will deeply resonate with your ideal clients. —Jodie Cook, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025

And tariffs could have a perverse and uncomfortable upside, Caitlin Daniel, a researcher at Harvard, told me. —Rachel Sugar, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2025

The program will include eight features and three short films that invite viewers to wrestle with complex — and at times, uncomfortable — questions about the world around them. —Addie Morfoot, Variety, 11 Mar. 2025

Humans would much rather live in an uncomfortable yet familiar difficult situation than warmly embrace a comfortable and easier change. —Dr. Fatih Mehmet Gul, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1573, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for uncomfortable

• comfortable

Kids Definition

uncomfortable

adjective

un·​com·​fort·​able ˌən-ˈkəm(p)(f)-tə(r)-bəl 

-ˈkəm(p)-fə(r)t-ə-bəl,

ˈən-

1

: causing discomfort

an uncomfortable chair

2

: feeling discomfort : uneasy

uncomfortably

-blē 

adverb