ILL AT EASE Synonyms: 77 Similar and Opposite Words

ill at ease

adjective

Definition of ill at ease

as in worried

feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty I'm usually ill at ease when addressing a large crowd of people

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of ill at ease Both were a byword, too, for male beauty, fully alive to the almost laughable impact of their handsomeness, yet ill at ease, now and then, with their perches on the pedestal. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 18 Sep. 2025 Maurice, who had a troubled childhood marked by illness and emotional neglect, was negative and socially ill at ease. — Olga Khazan, The Atlantic, 13 Aug. 2025 In her mind, the community in her fictional story should be one of privilege, a circumstance in which Ruth, who grew up in a working-class Yiddish family, could initially feel ill at ease. — Esther Zuckerman, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025 The young man may be introverted or otherwise socially ill at ease. — Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 29 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for ill at ease

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill at ease

Adjective

Observers say the Student List party's policies remain vague, which has some worried about Serbia's future.

— Chris Massaro, FOXNews.com, 27 Oct. 2026
Gas prices were safely below $3 a gallon, and, if anything, the energy market was worried about a supply glut that could keep fuel prices low.

— Matt Egan, CNN Money, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of worried

Adjective

The director general was attempting to lift the gloom after being beset with questions from anxious employees about job losses, service reductions, and general retrenchment.

— Max Goldbart, Deadline, 24 Oct. 2026
An anxious child Apart from her scribbled notes, scant details are available about Runa’s experience in detention, according to her lawyer Yoshihiro Mukai.

— Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of anxious

Adjective

That sounds appealing, especially to investors nervous about market declines.

— Daniel Kern, Forbes.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Shopkeepers boarded up windows while others opened temporarily and endured a nervous Saturday afternoon, after around 3,000 shops were damaged or looted last weekend.

— ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026

Definition of nervous

Adjective

Ramaswamy, who is challenging Democrat Amy Acton for the governor’s seat, has come under attack from some critics for airing a campaign ad this week featuring Acton’s estranged mother slamming her daughter as a troubled liar.

— Emily Hallas, The Washington Examiner, 21 Oct. 2026
Betancourt’s legal problems stemmed from his role in troubled Venezuelan energy projects during the corrupt rule of former President Hugo Chávez.

— Cate Brown, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of troubled

Adjective

But bond markets are already uneasy with Brazil's growing debt-to-GDP ratio, and are likely to demand an ever-higher premium if public spending rises significantly.

— Jenni Reid, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
The effort is backed by an uneasy alliance between the right-wing Make America Healthy Again movement and progressives, both motivated by concerns over food safety.

— Elijah Wolfson, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of uneasy

Browse Nearby Words

ill-advised

ill at ease

illaudable

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Style

“Ill at ease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill%20at%20ease. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of ill at ease

adjective

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