unsettling

adjective

un·​set·​tling
ˌən-ˈset-liŋ
-ˈse-tᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce unsettling (audio)
: 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.
But the process has been unsettling for young scientists like Clara Zundel, a postdoctoral researcher at Wayne State University in Detroit. Jon Hamilton, NPR, 15 Nov. 2025 This unsettling thriller about impotent (emotionally, literally) university professor Ali (Turkish star Ekin Koç), on the path to vengeance after the suspicious death of his mother, scored strong reviews (including my own) and the World Cinema Directing Award out of the Utah festival. Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 14 Nov. 2025 For seniors and low-income Americans who depend on monthly food assistance, the fight over SNAP benefits has been unsettling. Michael Collins, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025 Better to think of this less as a story than a mood, a procession of unsettling dream logic strung together by cinematographer Jeremy Cox’s gorgeous and eerie shots. Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 13 Nov. 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 23 Nov. 2025.

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