unsettling

adjective

un·​set·​tling

ˌən-ˈset-liŋ, 

-ˈse-tᵊl-iŋ 

: having the effect of upsetting, disturbing, or discomposing

unsettling images of the war

unsettlingly

ˌən-ˈset-liŋ-lē, 

-ˈse-tᵊl-iŋ- 

adverb

Synonyms of unsettling

• disturbing
• troubling
• frightening

Examples of unsettling in a Sentence

unsettling new developments in the effort to bring peace and stability to that region

had the unsettling task of picking out a coffin and making the other funeral arrangements for his father

Recent Examples on the Web

Eighty or more minutes later at the end of the Agnus Dei, when the great plea for peace reaches its ultimate transcendence, up becomes, in one of the most profoundly unsettling moments in all music, down again. —Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 25 Feb. 2026

Power outages can be stressful, unsettling, and downright inconvenient. —Anne Wolf, Martha Stewart, 23 Feb. 2026

But there could be a more unsettling reason. —Ian Buruma, New Yorker, 23 Feb. 2026

Directors Colin and Cameron Cairnes have a lot of fun with the concept, evoking the raw analog vibe of '70s television in all its charming yet unsettling glory. —Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unsettling

• settling
• resettling