unsettling
adjective
un·set·tling
ˌən-ˈset-liŋ,
-ˈse-tᵊl-iŋ
: having the effect of upsetting, disturbing, or discomposing
unsettling images of the war
Synonyms
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
This unsettling situation compels her to make a pivotal choice, triggering conflicts within her romantic relationship.
—
John Hopewell, Variety, 23 Nov. 2023
Set some 20 years later, in 2015, as Elizabeth prepares to play Gracie in a film, the atmospheric and entertaining pseudo-thriller marries heady visuals—inspired by the work of Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman—and an unsettling score to a darkly comedic story about the two women’s uneasy intimacy.
—Elaina Patton, Vogue, 16 Nov. 2023
The comments received immediate pushback, both from critics who have long challenged Trump's habit of attacking others with hyperbolic insults and from historians who said his latest remarks had an unsettling resemblance to those of infamous authoritarians.
—Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 13 Nov. 2023
The camera then cuts to Asher urinating, zeroing in on his genitals for an unsettling amount of time.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 11 Nov. 2023
Related Stories The painful saga goes back decades and provides an unsettling X-ray on the family life of a man who became an icon, especially among generations of African Americans, for playing the paterfamilias James Evans Sr. on Good Times.
—Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Nov. 2023
The dreams themselves are creepily and memorably staged, with unsettling zooms, ominous noises and odd dashes of prosthetic gore.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
Paul, the Smithwick resident, said what’s most unsettling is that no one seems to know how TCP entered the community’s water supply.
—Agnel Philip, ProPublica, 6 Nov. 2023
Priscilla has said the incident left her with a black eye, a bruised arm and an unsettling feeling that Elvis had an addiction.
—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 3 Nov. 2023
See More
John Hopewell, Variety, 23 Nov. 2023
Set some 20 years later, in 2015, as Elizabeth prepares to play Gracie in a film, the atmospheric and entertaining pseudo-thriller marries heady visuals—inspired by the work of Swedish auteur Ingmar Bergman—and an unsettling score to a darkly comedic story about the two women’s uneasy intimacy.
—Elaina Patton, Vogue, 16 Nov. 2023
The comments received immediate pushback, both from critics who have long challenged Trump's habit of attacking others with hyperbolic insults and from historians who said his latest remarks had an unsettling resemblance to those of infamous authoritarians.
—Soo Rin Kim, ABC News, 13 Nov. 2023
The camera then cuts to Asher urinating, zeroing in on his genitals for an unsettling amount of time.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 11 Nov. 2023
Related Stories The painful saga goes back decades and provides an unsettling X-ray on the family life of a man who became an icon, especially among generations of African Americans, for playing the paterfamilias James Evans Sr. on Good Times.
—Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Nov. 2023
The dreams themselves are creepily and memorably staged, with unsettling zooms, ominous noises and odd dashes of prosthetic gore.
—Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
Paul, the Smithwick resident, said what’s most unsettling is that no one seems to know how TCP entered the community’s water supply.
—Agnel Philip, ProPublica, 6 Nov. 2023
Priscilla has said the incident left her with a black eye, a bruised arm and an unsettling feeling that Elvis had an addiction.
—Eric Andersson, Peoplemag, 3 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'unsettling.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1665, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near unsettling
Cite this Entry
“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsettling. Accessed 3 Dec. 2023.
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