upsetting

adjective

up·​set·​ting (ˌ)əp-ˈse-tiŋ 

: mentally or emotionally troubling or disturbing : causing feelings of worry or anxiety

heard some upsetting news

an upsetting experience

We're up to [a deficit of] $1.5 trillion a year …. These numbers are truly upsetting.

—Bill Gates

Professors issue, or students demand, trigger warnings when presenting material that might be upsetting to some: depictions of rape, sexism, racism, suicide.

—Yvonne Abraham

upsettingly adverb

an upsettingly graphic depiction of violence

In comparison to male historical figures, the number of women that we learn about throughout school is upsettingly low.

—Alexis Gardner

Synonyms of upsetting

• disturbing
• unsettling
• troubling
• frightening

Examples of upsetting in a Sentence

the constant arguing is upsetting to a sensitive person like your grandmother

Recent Examples on the Web

Over the last several days, many Americans have seen upsetting, and often violent, images and videos of protests in Minneapolis amid a flood of ICE agents entering the city for a federal immigration enforcement operation. —Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 28 Jan. 2026

That alone would be upsetting, but Rushdie, forever trying to understand the story of his own life, then walks his wife and her camera through all the moments before, during, and after the attack. —Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 26 Jan. 2026

While the images and words were upsetting, Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte CEO Adam Kolett said he’s been comforted by the solidarity expressed by many with Charlotte’s Jewish community. —Charlotte Observer, 22 Jan. 2026

Equally upsetting was the ICE response to a dying woman, a mother. —Chicago Tribune, 19 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for upsetting

• abetting
• begetting
• besetting
• bloodletting
• briquetting
• forgetting
• offsetting
• pipetting
• regretting
• resetting
• subletting
• typesetting