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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Recent Examples of ill at ease
Only their oldest daughter, 13-year-old Isabella, seemed ill at ease with all the protestors and visitors, like me, who showed up in their wake.
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Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 19 June 2024
Deep fault lines emerged in a society ill at ease with itself and aggrieved with the West.
—Laura Secor, Foreign Affairs, 6 Dec. 2013
Former President Donald Trump stood in the lobby of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan Friday morning looking somehow ill at ease in his own building.
—Ron Elving, NPR, 2 June 2024
Still, Griffith often felt ill at ease with her position within the music industry.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for ill at ease 
Natalie Krebs, Outdoor Life, 19 June 2024
Deep fault lines emerged in a society ill at ease with itself and aggrieved with the West.
—Laura Secor, Foreign Affairs, 6 Dec. 2013
Former President Donald Trump stood in the lobby of Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan Friday morning looking somehow ill at ease in his own building.
—Ron Elving, NPR, 2 June 2024
Still, Griffith often felt ill at ease with her position within the music industry.
—Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2023
See all Example Sentences for ill at ease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ill at ease
Adjective
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Rather than being concerned that Musk has too much influence over the president-elect, Jayapal should be worried about who’s making decisions for the current president.Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 26 Dec. 2024
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Gift recipients are much less worried about when the gift arrives.Rebecca Walker Reczek, Cory Haltman, CBS News, 25 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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New Mom Gives Birth, Only To Learn What Family Did With Baby By Jack Beresford Senior Life and Trends Reporter 10 A woman whose daughter was born via cesarean section has opened up about the one thing that left her upset following the birth.Gord Magill, Newsweek, 22 Dec. 2024
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Playing shorthanded against one of the best defenses the Vols have faced all season did not help the visitors’ upset chances.David Ubben, The Athletic, 22 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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The horror sequel centers on pop star and drug addict Skye Riley (Naomi Scott), who's anxious about a comeback tour and visits her dealer for pills.Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
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His words speak to an anxious, ongoing need not just to entertain, but to distract, to overact, to keep the audience unmoored, all in an effort to hide deep and intractable feelings of inadequacy.Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 24 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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That could be especially helpful for passengers who are nervous about being on a ship.Nathan Diller, USA TODAY, 24 Dec. 2024
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Others may be nervous about overusing sanctions, as Steven Mnuchin, the treasury secretary in Trump’s first administration, was.Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 23 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Country singer Elle King is opening up about her troubled relationship with father, Rob Schneider.Audrey Gibbs, The Tennessean, 20 Dec. 2024
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The previous year Atlanta’s troubled son Young Thug was shut behind bars on RICO charges, bringing his output to a halt.Maurice Garland, SPIN, 19 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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But the series also revealed an uneasy disconnect between the British public and the media.Katie Marie Davies, The Christian Science Monitor, 19 Dec. 2024
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Here, she’s filmed upside-down against a stark white sky with the old girl bobbing on an uneasy axis.Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near ill at ease
Cite this Entry
“Ill at ease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ill%20at%20ease. Accessed 2 Jan. 2025.
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