Meaning & use
uncomfortable
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Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Not pleasant to the body, because of pain, pressure, heat or poor fit.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: an uncomfortable chair; I feel uncomfortable.
Patterns
- uncomfortable to sit on
- uncomfortable in something
The wooden bench was too hard and uncomfortable after an hour.
These shoes are uncomfortable when I walk far.
It was an uncomfortable night in the cold tent.
adjectivecomparable
Feeling uneasy, awkward or embarrassed, especially around other people.
Grammar: Often followed by with or about: uncomfortable with the question.
Patterns
- uncomfortable with something
- uncomfortable doing something
- feel uncomfortable
He felt uncomfortable talking about his salary.
Their questions about my family made me uncomfortable.
She is uncomfortable with public speaking.
adjectivebefore a noun
Causing awkwardness, worry or tension in a situation.
Grammar: Usually before a noun: an uncomfortable silence.
Patterns
- an uncomfortable silence
- an uncomfortable truth
There was an uncomfortable silence after his joke.
The report revealed some uncomfortable truths about the school.
The meeting turned into an uncomfortable argument.
Word forms
| comparative | more uncomfortable |
|---|---|
| superlative | most uncomfortable |
Common combinations
- uncomfortable silence
- An uncomfortable silence followed his remark.
- feel uncomfortable
- I feel uncomfortable when people stare.
- uncomfortable truth
- The study revealed an uncomfortable truth about waste.
- uncomfortable position
- He slept in an uncomfortable position on the train.
- deeply uncomfortable
- She was deeply uncomfortable with the plan.
Synonyms and how they differ
- awkward
- Awkward stresses clumsiness or social difficulty, while uncomfortable can also be a plain physical feeling.
- uneasy
- Uneasy is mainly about worry or a vague feeling that something is wrong, not about physical sensations.
- painful
- Painful is much stronger and means it actually hurts, whereas uncomfortable means unpleasant without real pain.
- embarrassed
- Embarrassed names a feeling of shame in front of others, but uncomfortable is broader and can include worry.
Opposites
Word family
- comfort noun
- a state of ease, or something that gives ease
- comfortable adjective
- giving or feeling ease
- discomfort noun
- mild pain or unease
- uncomfortably adverb
- in an unpleasant or awkward way
Commonly confused: uncomfortable or discomfort?
uncomfortable vs discomfort
Discomfort is a noun for the feeling, while uncomfortable is an adjective, so you feel discomfort but are uncomfortable.
Practice
He felt ___ when his boss started asking questions about his private life.
Choose one answer.
Uncomfortable fits an awkward social feeling. Unconcerned would mean he did not care, and the other options are not natural in this sentence.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “uncomfortable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.