disquiet

1 of 3

verb

dis·​qui·​et (ˌ)dis-ˈkwī-ət 

disquieted; disquieting; disquiets

transitive verb

: to take away the peace or tranquility of : disturb, alarm

were disquieted by recent events

disquieting adjective

disquietingly

(ˌ)dis-ˈkwī-ə-tiŋ-lē 

adverb

disquiet

2 of 3

noun

: lack of peace or tranquility : anxiety

great disquiet among shareholders

disquiet

3 of 3

adjective

archaic

: uneasy, disquieted

disquietly adverb

Synonyms

Verb

• concern
• alarm
• worry
• disturb
• anger
• bother
• distract
• distress
• unsettle
• discomfort
• upset
• agitate

Noun

• turmoil
• unrest
• unease

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

Vessel’s lyrics seem disquieted by the attention, though. —August Brown, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2025

Many here see her as the embodiment of an America undergoing a cultural shift that threatens the heritage and political sensibilities of an old frontier town disquieted by changing times and suspicious of alternative lifestyles. —Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2024

Noun

Tokayev will also have to contend with public disquiet about having turned to Russia for aid. —Nargis Kassenova, Foreign Affairs, 18 Jan. 2022

This should not be a source of huge disquiet; not too long ago, Newcastle won a proper cup final rather than an echo of it. —George Caulkin, New York Times, 19 May 2025

Adjective

The stakes in play will inevitably help convince the participating clubs to field their strongest teams this summer but the disquiet from players persists ahead of a summer that would ordinarily have been vacant for high-profile events. —Philip Buckingham, New York Times, 26 Mar. 2025

The Pew survey also found disquiet about DEI measures edging up. —Niall Stanage, The Hill, 24 Jan. 2025

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

Rhymes for disquiet

• panchayat
• unquiet
• diet
• guyot
• piet
• quiet
• riot

Kids Definition

disquiet

1 of 2 verb

dis·​qui·​et (ˈ)dis-ˈkwī-ət 

: to make uneasy or restless : disturb

disquietingly

-iŋ-lē 

adverb

disquiet

2 of 2 noun

: an uneasy feeling