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uneasily

uneasily

19 4.2
In a worried or uncomfortable way
  • adverb
  • /juˈniːzəli/
translation icon : inquietamente
  • She sat uneasily in the meeting, afraid to voice her concerns about the project.
  • sit uneasily
  • coexist uneasily
  • shift uneasily

Examples

  • He looked at the dark clouds uneasily, knowing that a storm was coming.

  • At times, tradition and belief mix uneasily with archaeology in Aksum.

    Academic text (2009)
  • That should feel uneasily familiar to you.

  • Our third son is the son you love best, but most uneasily.

  • Those two parts live uneasily inside the same skull.

  • But the words turned over uneasily in his mind like leaves stirred up by a cold wind.

    Academic text (2001)
  • Of course, it will be the ultimate final for which we will all sit uneasily, but that's another matter.

  • And to make those two affirmations, I accept, however uneasily, the lies I had to tell.

    Academic text (1996)
  • "What makes you think I know anything about it?" Alfred asked uneasily, keeping his eyes averted.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • To his left, Singing Wolf looked uneasily at the caribou coming steadily toward them.

    Fiction book (1990)

Synonyms

nervously
vsuneasily
87 2.3

Shows worry or fear in the way someone acts

is more mental, including quiet concern rather than visible signs
anxiously
vsuneasily
43 3.2

In a worried or nervous way

is milder and more general, showing low-level worry or discomfort
uncomfortably
vsuneasily
26 3.4

In a way that makes a person feel uncomfortable or awkward

is more about mental worry and emotional unease than physical pain
tensely
vsuneasily
3 3.9

In a nervous, worried way that shows stress

is broader, including mental discomfort without obvious bodily tension
worriedly
vsuneasily
3 2.0

In a way that shows you feel afraid or unsure

is broader, also covering physical unease and mild discomfort
apprehensively
vsuneasily
2 6.0

In a worried way because you think something bad may happen

is general concern without specific fear of future events
edgily
vsuneasily
1 6.0

In a nervous, tense way that shows worry

is calmer in tone, mainly showing internal worry rather than anger
agitatedly
vsuneasily
1 5.7

In a nervous, restless way that shows worry

is less active, showing quiet concern or low-level unease
distressedly
vsuneasily
8.4

In a way that shows worry or strong sadness

is less intense, covering lighter worry or mild discomfort
distressfully
vsuneasily
7.0

In a way that shows worry or great sadness

is milder and covers ordinary worry rather than strong anguish
restively
vsuneasily
7.8

To make small nervous movements because you feel impatient and uneasy

expresses inner unease more as impatience than as deep worry

Antonyms

36 2.9

In a way that shows a person is sure and not afraid

19 1.3

With little worry and no stress

How Uneasy

frantically
59 4.4
anxiously
43 3.2
nervously
87 2.3
uneasily
19 4.2
calmly
110 1.0

Surface Forms

uneasily positive

Morphology

uneasily = uneasy (transparent) = un + easy + ly

Standard adverb formation from the adjective 'uneasy' by adding '-ly'; 'uneasy' itself is a straightforward negative formation from 'easy'.

Etymology

The word uneasily comes from un- meaning 'not', the familiar word easy meaning 'comfortable', and the ending -ly that makes it describe how something is done. So it literally means 'not comfortable' and is used when someone does something with worry or discomfort.