unease
UK: ʌnˈiːz | US: ʌnˈiːz
n. a feeling of anxiety or discomfort
n. lack of ease or relaxation
The word "unease" combines the prefix "un-" (Old English "un-," meaning "not") with the noun "ease" (from Old French "aise," meaning "comfort" or "relief"). The prefix negates the root, transforming "ease" into its opposite—a state of discomfort or restlessness. This construction follows a common pattern in English where "un-" is added to adjectives or nouns to indicate reversal or absence (e.g., "unhappy," "uncertain"). The word emerged in Middle English, reflecting the language's tendency to create nuanced emotional states through simple affixation.
His sudden silence filled the room with unease.
She couldn't shake the unease that followed the strange phone call.
The politician's vague answers stirred unease among the voters.
A sense of unease lingered after the argument.
The dark alley provoked an instinctive unease in her.