upsetting
adjective
up·set·ting
(ˌ)əp-ˈse-tiŋ 
: mentally or emotionally troubling or disturbing : causing feelings of worry or anxiety
heard some upsetting news
an upsetting experience
We're up to [a deficit of] $1.5 trillion a year …. These numbers are truly upsetting.—
Bill Gates
Bill GatesProfessors issue, or students demand, trigger warnings when presenting material that might be upsetting to some: depictions of rape, sexism, racism, suicide.—Yvonne Abraham
Yvonne Abraham
upsettingly
adverb
an upsettingly graphic depiction of violence
In comparison to male historical figures, the number of women that we learn about throughout school is upsettingly low.
—Alexis Gardner
Alexis Gardner
Examples of upsetting in a Sentence
the constant arguing is upsetting to a sensitive person like your grandmother
Recent Examples on the Web
Red, people argued, would be too upsetting for audiences to see.
—Ralph Jones, HubSpot, 20 Feb. 2026
The study, which was published in the journal Acta Psychologica, found that people who regularly did cardio were more likely to stay calm compared to people who didn’t exercise much while navigating an upsetting situation.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 20 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, once the law is involved, a crime has to be reported, setting in motion a chain of events that are extremely upsetting to the old lady, starting with an intrusive internal examination.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
That was such a terrible shock and really upsetting, horrifying, and scary.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upsetting
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Ralph Jones, HubSpot, 20 Feb. 2026
The study, which was published in the journal Acta Psychologica, found that people who regularly did cardio were more likely to stay calm compared to people who didn’t exercise much while navigating an upsetting situation.
—Korin Miller, SELF, 20 Feb. 2026
Unfortunately, once the law is involved, a crime has to be reported, setting in motion a chain of events that are extremely upsetting to the old lady, starting with an intrusive internal examination.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 19 Feb. 2026
That was such a terrible shock and really upsetting, horrifying, and scary.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 16 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upsetting
Cite this Entry
“Upsetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upsetting. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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