unsettling

adjective

un·​set·​tling
ˌən-ˈset-liŋ
-ˈse-tᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce unsettling (audio)
Synonyms of unsettlingnext
: having the effect of upsetting, disturbing, or discomposing
unsettling images of the war
unsettlingly
ˌən-ˈset-liŋ-lē
-ˈse-tᵊl-iŋ- How to pronounce unsettling (audio)
adverb

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Reports have revealed that the movements of robotic dogs are deliberately awkward, creating an unsettling contrast between the familiar appearance of their faces and the mechanical behavior of their bodies. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 5 Dec. 2025 Decades later, the film has grown exponentially in influence, admiration and, yes, plausibility, as the Jeffrey Epstein saga has shown that such a scenario is no stranger than Kubrick’s unsettling fiction. Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 Dec. 2025 The collection consists of four sequences; each features long, skinny columns of poetry, studded with unsettling rhymes. The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025 The book combines history and science to make the unsettling point that tuberculosis is nothing but a social issue tied to inequality. Brianne Kane, Scientific American, 4 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for unsettling

Word History

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsettling was in 1665

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Cite this Entry

“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsettling. Accessed 12 Dec. 2025.

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