unsettle

verb

un·​set·​tle ˌən-ˈse-tᵊl 

unsettled; unsettling; unsettles

transitive verb

1

: to loosen or move from a settled state or condition : make unstable : disorder

A mild aftershock unsettled several more structures.

2

: to perturb or agitate mentally or emotionally : discompose

Such a sudden change will only unsettle her.

intransitive verb

: to become unsettled

Synonyms of unsettle

• disturb
• distract
• bother
• alarm
• worry
• concern
• agitate

Examples of unsettle in a Sentence

Such a sudden change will unsettle her.

the news that the local grocery store had sold contaminated produce unsettled many shoppers

Recent Examples on the Web

After the cold front has passed, the air mass will be chilly and unsettled behind it. —Anthony Edwards, San Francisco Chronicle, 10 Apr. 2026

Eisenberg’s compositional intelligence has a near-merciless quality, zeroing in on feelings of calm and unsettling them. —Jayson Greene, Pitchfork, 9 Apr. 2026

Even cheaper or open-source AI models from smaller companies could soon enable this sort of hacking—which would unsettle the basic security and privacy that undergird the modern internet. —Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 9 Apr. 2026

The conflict has unsettled the housing market across the country. —Brad Hamilton, CBS News, 8 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for unsettle

• betel
• cetyl
• kettle
• metal
• mettle
• nettle
• petal
• setal
• settle
• diacetyl
• gunmetal
• nonmetal

Kids Definition

unsettle

verb

un·​set·​tle ˌən-ˈset-ᵊl 

ˈən-

1

: to move or loosen from a settled state

2

: to make uneasy

change unsettles him