unnerve

verb

un·​nerve ˌən-ˈnərv How to pronounce unnerve (audio)
unnerved; unnerving; unnerves

transitive verb

1
: to deprive of courage, strength, or steadiness
2
: to cause to become nervous : upset
unnervingly adverb
Choose the Right Synonym for unnerve

unnerve, enervate, unman, emasculate mean to deprive of strength or vigor and the capacity for effective action.

unnerve implies marked often temporary loss of courage, self-control, or power to act.

unnerved by the near collision

enervate suggests a gradual physical or moral weakening (as through luxury or indolence) until one is too feeble to make an effort.

a nation's youth enervated by affluence and leisure

unman implies a loss of manly vigor, fortitude, or spirit.

a soldier unmanned by the terrors of battle

emasculate stresses a depriving of characteristic force by removing something essential.

an amendment that emasculates existing safeguards

Examples of unnerve in a Sentence

Seeing the police in there unnerved me. She was unnerved by his strange manner.
Recent Examples on the Web The crowd is appropriately reverent on this religious holy day as percussionist/composer Ches Smith begins, leading his unclassifiable ensemble Laugh Ash through a maze of scrambled electronics, free-jazz vibraphone, and orchestrations that shift from unnerving to sweet. Ryan Reed, SPIN, 27 Mar. 2024 But those who remember have been unnerved by the military’s return to the small island. Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024 But given expectations on Wall Street, anything less could unnerve the financial markets and play havoc with the real estate sector. Paul Weinstein Jr., Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024 These efforts naturally unnerve Beijing, whose officials now routinely invoke the boogeyman of American hegemony lurking around every geopolitical corner. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2024 But the dissonance among the Russian leader’s base must unnerve the Kremlin. Timothy Frye, Foreign Affairs, 25 Mar. 2024 Rumors of an impending demolition have unnerved the local neighborhood association, which is pressing for a redevelopment plan that would save the century-old building. Rory Appleton, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024 But having children come to her home in the afternoon became impossible: The sound of gunfire unnerved her students and their parents. Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 18 Dec. 2023 Humor is subjective, of course, but the resulting jokes probably won’t unnerve any stand-up comedians worried AI is coming for their job. Leslie Katz, Forbes, 10 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unnerve.' 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

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of unnerve was in 1603

Dictionary Entries Near unnerve

Cite this Entry

“Unnerve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unnerve. Accessed 28 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

unnerve

verb
un·​nerve ˌən-ˈnərv How to pronounce unnerve (audio)
ˈən-
unnerved; unnerving
: to deprive of nerve, courage, or self-control
the accident unnerved me

More from Merriam-Webster on unnerve

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