ill at ease

adjective

Anxious; unsure; uneasy.

Similar
awkwarduneasyuncomfortable
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Meanings

adjectiveill at ease (comparative more ill at ease, superlative most ill at ease)

comparative more ill at ease · superlative most ill at ease

  1. Anxious; unsure; uneasy.
  2. Uncomfortable.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectivesocially uncomfortable; unsure and constrained in manner

Similar
awkwarduneasyuncomfortable
Also see
awkwardmalaiseuncomfortableuneasy

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Compare to malaise, a similar formation from French.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French mal à l'aise
  • mal à l'aiseuncomfortable
Hungarian feszeng, kényelmetlenül/feszélyezve/kínosan érzi magát
  • feszenguncomfortable
  • kényelmetlenül/feszélyezve/kínosan érzi magátuncomfortable
Swedish illa till mods, obekväm
  • illa till modsuncomfortable
  • obekvämuncomfortable
  • besväraduncomfortable
  • sammanbitenuncomfortable
Cite this entry
APA

ill at ease. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ill%20at%20ease

MLA

“ill at ease.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ill%20at%20ease. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ill at ease,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ill%20at%20ease.

Source: ill at ease on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.