ill-at-ease
Squirming inside yourself
Ill-at-ease describes a state of discomfort or awkwardness, especially in social situations.
Someone ill-at-ease feels self-conscious, nervous, or not quite right: He looked ill-at-ease in his borrowed suit.
The phrase suggests visible unease—fidgeting, stilted conversation, a sense of not belonging.
Lacking grace or ease
- uncomfortableCausing unease or distress
- self-consciousUncomfortably aware of oneself
- nervousUneasy and apprehensive
- out-of-placeNot fitting the surroundings
stilted · stiff · tongue-tied · wallflower · small-talk · mingling · introvert · flustered
Twisting restlessly from discomfort
- shiftingChanging position or form
- fidgetingRestless minor movements
- restlessUnable to be still
- uncomfortableCausing unease or distress
cramped · constricted · itchy · sweaty · clammy · stiff · rigid · tense
Not yet resolved
- apprehensiveFearful of future events
- worriedTroubled by uncertainty
- restlessUnable to be still
- agitatedEmotionally disturbed, restless
on-edge · disquieted · troubled · jittery · butterflies · dread · foreboding · unnerved
Not previously known
- foreignFrom another nation
- alienNon-native being
- fish-out-of-waterOne in alien circumstances
- displacedShifted from proper location
outsider · stranger · unwelcome · intrusive · inappropriate · misfit · lost · bewildered
awkward
Lacking grace or ease
- uncomfortableCausing unease or distress
- self-consciousUncomfortably aware of oneself
- nervousUneasy and apprehensive
out-of-place · stilted · stiff · tongue-tied · wallflower · small-talk · mingling · introvert · flustered · gauche
squirming
Twisting restlessly from discomfort
uncomfortable · cramped · constricted · itchy · sweaty · clammy · stiff · rigid · tense · hunched
unsettled
Not yet resolved
- apprehensiveFearful of future events
- worriedTroubled by uncertainty
- restlessUnable to be still
agitated · on-edge · disquieted · troubled · jittery · butterflies · dread · foreboding · unnerved · distressed
unfamiliar
Not previously known
- foreignFrom another nation
- alienNon-native being
- fish-out-of-waterOne in alien circumstances
displaced · outsider · stranger · unwelcome · intrusive · inappropriate · misfit · lost · bewildered · disoriented