unease
unease — noun
1. An inner worry or nervousness that comes when you sense something is wrong, even
An inner worry or nervousness that comes when you sense something is wrong, even without clear reason.
A sense of unease spread through the office when the manager called an urgent meeting.
Joshua felt a deep unease about leaving his elderly mother alone for the weekend.
unease about [something]
There was an unease in the room that no one dared to speak about.
Ada's unease grew as the storm clouds turned the afternoon sky dark.
Sivan tried to hide her unease, but her trembling hands gave it away.
- anxiety
Stronger and more clinical; often refers to a lasting mental health condition rather than a passing feeling
- worry
More everyday and focused on specific, repeated thoughts about a problem
- disquiet
More formal and literary; suggests a disturbance of one's peace of mind
- apprehension
Involves fear or dread about something specific that is going to happen soon
- peace of mind
A calm, untroubled mental state
- calm
Absence of nervousness or agitation
2. A feeling of awkwardness or embarrassment in social situations, when you do not
A feeling of awkwardness or embarrassment in social situations, when you do not know how to act or what to say.
Nikos felt a familiar unease when he entered a crowded party full of strangers.
There was an awkward unease between the two colleagues after their argument the day before.
awkward unease between [people]
Trang's unease during the job interview made it hard for her to answer simple questions.
After a long silence, Mateo broke the unease by telling a silly joke.
Constanza could feel the unease spread through the dinner table when politics came up.
- embarrassment
Stronger feeling of shame or self-consciousness in front of others
- awkwardness
Very close in meaning; focuses on the discomfort of not knowing how to behave