disquiet

1 of 3

verb

dis·​qui·​et (ˌ)dis-ˈkwī-ət How to pronounce disquiet (audio)
disquieted; disquieting; disquiets

transitive verb

: to take away the peace or tranquility of : disturb, alarm
were disquieted by recent events
disquieting adjective
disquietingly adverb

disquiet

2 of 3

noun

: lack of peace or tranquility : anxiety
great disquiet among shareholders

disquiet

3 of 3

adjective

archaic
disquietly adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for disquiet

discompose, disquiet, disturb, perturb, agitate, upset, fluster mean to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action.

discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

Examples of disquiet in a Sentence

Verb we were disquieted by the strange noises we heard outside our tent at night Noun There is increasing public disquiet about the number of violent crimes in the city. a period of disquiet before the results of the close election were confirmed
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
David also was disquieted by his brother’s familiarity with the places that had been targeted by the Unabomber. Steve Chawkins, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2023 His Blackness disquieted the American ideals and sensibilities that proclaim us all equal. Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 26 May 2023 There are many conservatives, in politics and the media, who are disquieted about what DeSantis has done, vis-à-vis Disney. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 8 May 2023 They were disquieted, too, when the governor forbade private enterprise to require vaccination during a pandemic. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 8 May 2023 Other things disquieted me as well: the general tenor of rage. Tess Taylor, CNN, 24 Mar. 2023 The next few days were disquieting for the country, especially after he was transferred to intensive care. Adam Rasmi, Quartz, 27 Apr. 2020 In much of the Bay Area, the coronavirus pandemic and strict shelter-in-place rules have kept people in their homes, engulfing whole cities in a sense of disquieting calm. Rachel Swan, SFChronicle.com, 25 Apr. 2020 In that light, America’s 20 percent positivity rate is disquieting. Alexis C. Madrigal, The Atlantic, 16 Apr. 2020
Noun
And yet despite this disquiet regarding China, Indonesia’s overarching foreign policy is unlikely to change. Dewi Fortuna Anwar, Foreign Affairs, 12 Feb. 2024 The director’s composition and framing choices introduce a sense of disquiet into every image, complicating any sense of nostalgia. Akiva Gottlieb, Los Angeles Times, 19 Feb. 2024 There’s a disquiet to the way the teenage Foster grins slightly, cocks one eyebrow, swallows hard. Jordan Kisner, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2024 What’s turbocharged the disquiet among farmers in Europe is the ambitious Green Deal, a package of EU legislation designed to zero out pollution by 2050. Nayla Razzouk, Fortune Europe, 13 Feb. 2024 There is ongoing disquiet about the country's ailing economy, as well as its rigid prohibitions against social freedoms, which drove the protest movement calling for greater gender equality. Daniel Arkin, NBC News, 5 Oct. 2023 In an era of ever-increasing anxiety, now is the summer — and autumn — of our disquiet, and eco-anxiety, a catchall term to describe all-encompassing environmental concerns, is having its moment. Jason Horowitz, BostonGlobe.com, 16 Sep. 2023 News that the mercenary leader was back in Russia only deepened the sense of disquiet. Catherine Belton, Washington Post, 6 July 2023 The disquiet among scientists of Chinese descent comes as Washington seeks to defend its edge in scientific and technological innovation, and as China quickly narrows the gap. Karen Hao, WSJ, 22 Sep. 2022
Adjective
While there may be some disquiet over the current state of the software, the Galaxy S24 family—especially the top of the range Galaxy S24 Ultra—remain the South Korean company’s camera champion. Ewan Spence, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024 But there has been disquiet over marketing for the movie after it was claimed Jews had been erased from the synopsis. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 4 Jan. 2024 The protests reflected growing disquiet about the mounting civilian casualty toll and suffering from the Israel-Hamas war. NBC News, 7 Nov. 2023 All the while, there has been growing disquiet in several U.S. cities that FIFA’s lack of urgency is wasting valuable time. Tariq Panja, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2023 The findings underscore a growing disquiet about the state’s climate future at a time when most experts say hotter, drier conditions are likely in the years and decades ahead. Hayley Smith, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2023 That prospect remains a cause for disquiet in as many as a dozen states. Kamran Bokhari, Foreign Affairs, 11 Jan. 2022 Zoom has again tweaked its terms of service to ward off growing disquiet regarding its last change, which people perceived as giving the communications platform free rein to train its A.I. on their content. David Meyer, Fortune, 8 Aug. 2023 That tension between adverb and adjective conveys a subtlety and disquiet reflected in the images. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disquiet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1530, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1581, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1582, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disquiet was circa 1530

Dictionary Entries Near disquiet

Cite this Entry

“Disquiet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disquiet. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

disquiet

1 of 2 verb
dis·​qui·​et (ˈ)dis-ˈkwī-ət How to pronounce disquiet (audio)
: to make uneasy or restless : disturb
disquietingly adverb

disquiet

2 of 2 noun
: an uneasy feeling

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