uncomfortable

uncomfortable — adjective

1. causing or experiencing physical unease, such as from a chair that is too hard,

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

causing or experiencing physical unease, such as from a chair that is too hard, clothes that pinch or rub, or a room that is too hot or too cold

Example

Talia felt uncomfortable on the hard wooden bench after just five minutes.

feel + uncomfortable + on + [surface]

Jin returned the shoes because the stiff leather made his heels uncomfortable.

uncomfortable describing a body part's reaction

Common collocations
  • uncomfortable chair / seat / bed / sofa / shoes
  • feel uncomfortable
  • find something uncomfortable
  • uncomfortable position / posture
  • uncomfortable to sit on / wear / sleep in
Synonyms
  • painful

    much stronger; means actual physical hurt rather than mere unease

  • tight

    describes specific cause (clothing pressing against the body), not the general feeling

  • cramped

    describes lack of space rather than a general feeling of physical unease

Antonyms
  • comfortable

    direct opposite — providing or experiencing physical ease

  • soft

    describes a positive physical quality of surfaces, opposite of hard

Grammar Patterns

feel + uncomfortable + on/in + noun

uncomfortable + noun (chair, bed, shoes, clothes)

find + noun + uncomfortable

Usage Note

When describing the cause of physical discomfort, you put uncomfortable before the noun (an uncomfortable chair); when describing how someone feels, you use it after a linking verb (Talia felt uncomfortable).

Common Mistakes

This sofa is uncomfortable to sit on it.
This sofa is uncomfortable to sit on.
do not add a pronoun after the infinitive when the object is already the subject of the sentence.
The bed was uncomfortable for sleeping in the night.
The bed was uncomfortable to sleep on.
use 'to + verb' rather than 'for + gerund' after this adjective.

2. feeling awkward, nervous, or slightly ashamed in a social situation, for example

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

feeling awkward, nervous, or slightly ashamed in a social situation, for example when the conversation is tense, there is an awkward silence, or a difficult topic is discussed

Example

An uncomfortable silence filled the room after Anong's unexpected question.

uncomfortable + noun (silence) describing a situation

Liam felt uncomfortable about telling his manager that the report still had mistakes.

feel uncomfortable about + V-ing

Common collocations
  • uncomfortable silence / pause / atmosphere
  • uncomfortable conversation / situation / moment
  • feel / grow / become / look uncomfortable
  • uncomfortable with / about
  • make someone uncomfortable
Synonyms
  • awkward

    focuses on the social situation being clumsy or embarrassing, not the person's inner feeling

  • embarrassed

    stronger; implies shame or loss of dignity, not just unease

  • uneasy

    very close in meaning, but carries a slight sense of worry about what might happen next

Antonyms
  • relaxed

    calm and at ease in a social situation

  • comfortable

    direct opposite — feeling at ease and confident

Grammar Patterns

feel + uncomfortable + about + noun/gerund

feel + uncomfortable + with + noun

uncomfortable + noun (silence, conversation, situation)

Usage Note

Commonly followed by about (focus on a decision or action) or with (focus on a person, arrangement, or ongoing situation). 'Uncomfortable with' often implies ongoing tension, while 'uncomfortable about' suggests hesitation regarding a specific choice.

Common Mistakes

I am uncomfortable to ask for help.
I feel uncomfortable about asking for help.
use 'uncomfortable about + V-ing', not 'uncomfortable + to-infinitive'.
The silence made me uncomfortable from the room.
The silence in the room made me feel uncomfortable.
the cause of discomfort is a noun subject, not introduced by 'from'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/2

All four describe a lack of ease, but they highlight different aspects. Uncomfortable (the broadest term) covers any mild to moderate social unease — you feel tense, not quite at ease. Awkward emphasises the situation itself: clumsy interactions, long silences, or fumbled words. A person is awkward when they lack social grace; a silence is awkward when it feels heavy. Embarrassed is stronger: it involves shame or loss of face — blushing after a public mistake, for example. Uneasy adds a thread of worry or apprehension about what might happen next, like feeling uneasy about a decision you just made. For a tense conversation where no one is ashamed or worried yet, uncomfortable or awkward fit best. Example: 'The room fell into an uncomfortable silence after the argument.' Here, awkward would also work, but embarrassed and uneasy would be too strong or wrongly focused.

awkward ↗embarrassed ↗uneasyuncomfortable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • feel uncomfortable
  • make someone uncomfortable
  • look uncomfortable
  • grow uncomfortable
  • find something uncomfortable

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Formed in English by adding the negative prefix un- to comfortable, which itself came from the Latin verb confortare (to strengthen greatly). The original sense of comfortable was 'giving strength or comfort', so uncomfortable first meant 'not providing strength or reassurance'. Over time the meaning shifted from the physical to also cover social and emotional unease.