unsettling
adjective
un·set·tling
ˌən-ˈset-liŋ,
-ˈse-tᵊl-iŋ
: having the effect of upsetting, disturbing, or discomposing
unsettling images of the war
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
In the gallery, rich, bright colors burst off the canvases, at once joyful and unsettling.
—
Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
By making the chapters of Weapon X feel like incomplete fragments that are missing bits of information, the story is unsettling.
—Literary Hub, 22 June 2026
For many undocumented and mixed-status students — those who live in families where immigration status varies from person to person — moments like this have become part of a new and unsettling normal.
—Valentina Toro, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2026
Watching those scenes while Russia continues its war against Ukraine was genuinely unsettling.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
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Sarah Larson, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
By making the chapters of Weapon X feel like incomplete fragments that are missing bits of information, the story is unsettling.
—Literary Hub, 22 June 2026
For many undocumented and mixed-status students — those who live in families where immigration status varies from person to person — moments like this have become part of a new and unsettling normal.
—Valentina Toro, Hartford Courant, 19 June 2026
Watching those scenes while Russia continues its war against Ukraine was genuinely unsettling.
—Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Cite this Entry
“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsettling. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.
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