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unease
/ʌnˈiːz/
feeling of worry or discomfort
She felt a sense of unease as she entered the empty house.
She experienced a feeling of worry or discomfort when she went into the empty house.
neutral
A feeling of worry, discomfort, or mental disturbance caused by uncertainty or apprehension.
The unease among the employees grew as rumors of layoffs spread.
The employees felt increasingly worried as layoff rumors circulated.
He tried to hide his unease during the job interview.
He attempted to conceal his feelings of discomfort during the interview.
Unease is often used to describe a vague or general feeling of anxiety, rather than a specific fear.
Collocations
feeling of uneasea sensation of worry or discomfortsense of uneasea perception of something being wrong or unsettlinggrowing uneaseincreasing feelings of worry or discomfort
Antonyms
Pro Tip
Use 'unease' for vague feelings
Use 'unease' when describing a general feeling of worry or discomfort without a clear cause. For specific fears, consider 'anxiety' or 'fear.'
Gold Rule
Unease vs. Discomfort
'Unease' is primarily a mental or emotional state, while 'discomfort' can refer to both physical and emotional sensations. For example, 'She felt unease about the meeting' (emotional) vs. 'She felt discomfort from the chair' (physical).
Word Origin
From Middle English 'unees,' from Old English 'un-' (not) + 'ease' (comfort). The prefix 'un-' negates the noun 'ease,' creating a sense of lack of comfort or comfortlessness.
Usage Notes
Unease is typically used to describe a psychological state rather than a physical one. It is more general than 'anxiety' and often implies a vague or undefined source of discomfort.
Word Breakdown
un-
not
prefixease
comfort or lack of difficulty
rootEnglish Dictionary