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

Their latest album, The Sludge of the Land, promises to unsettle your sensibilities by exploring the churning zone of kitsch that lurks behind more respectable musical forms. —H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026

Afterward, McKeigue said, she and her younger son, Christian Gingras, were left unsettled. —Evy Lewis, Chicago Tribune, 1 Jan. 2026

Friday’s arrival, relatively late in the book, unsettles unexpected elements of Crusoe’s order, while altering and rebuilding others. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2025

Van der Velden understands why the idea of a synthetic performer unsettled people, especially in a business already raw from layoffs, strikes and contraction. —Josh Rottenberg, Twin Cities, 31 Dec. 2025

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