unsettling

adjective

un·set·tling | \ ˌən-ˈset-liŋ, -ˈse-tᵊl-iŋ

How to pronounce unsettling (audio)

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Definition of unsettling

: having the effect of upsetting, disturbing, or discomposing unsettling images of the war

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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 From the look of things so far, it's set to feature some truly unsettling visuals, accompanied by the legendary Akira Yamaoka's score and singer and voice actress Mary Elizabeth McGlynn's vocals. — Brittany Vincent, Wired, "5 Next-Gen Console Games You Should Actually Care About," 14 Jan. 2021 Those trips proved unsettling, given waves of unmasked people and reports of other high school players testing positive for the coronavirus. — Ron Kroichick, SFChronicle.com, "‘Recipe for disaster’: Why some Bay Area high school athletes left state to compete," 23 Dec. 2020 At side stage, cellist Amanda Schaar emphasizes the most dramatic parts of the script with an original underscore of raw sounds that are often intentionally unsettling, but occasionally too loud. — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Review: North Coast Rep’s ‘An Iliad’ takes viewers on a dark, fascinating journey," 14 Dec. 2020 The conflict in the United States between the Trump Administration and its own scientific advisers has been a particularly unsettling example of our self-defeating tendencies. — Corinne Purtill, The New Yorker, "How Close Is Humanity to the Edge?," 21 Nov. 2020 Unlike other dyes, indigo turns cloth vivid blue only after the dyed fabric has been in contact with air for several minutes, a mysterious delay that some found unsettling. — Brandon Tensley, Smithsonian Magazine, "How Denim Became a Political Symbol of the 1960s," 17 Nov. 2020 Each subsequent cut to the beach is accompanied by the now unsettling roar of the waves, the lone witnesses to Iván’s disappearance. — Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times, "Review: ‘Madre’ expands into a mesmerizing drama from its origin as an Oscar-nominated short," 30 Oct. 2020 Kennon said that that the drive, in the dark, can be unsettling for people over 75 years old. — al, "Alabama mayor urges other city and county officials to ‘speak up’ about vaccine response," 23 Jan. 2021 Klaus Kinski plays Count Dracula, Isabelle Adjani is Lucy Harker, and Bruno Ganz is Jonathan Harker in this unforgettable mood piece, a movie that’s so unsettling that one wonders if Kinski might actually be a bloodsucker. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, "The 50 Best Movies on Peacock," 23 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unsettling.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

18 Feb 2021

Cite this Entry

“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsettling. Accessed 1 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for unsettling

unsettling

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of unsettling

: making you upset, nervous, worried, etc.

See the full definition for unsettling in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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