upsetting

1 of 2

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

Professors issue, or students demand, trigger warnings when presenting material that might be upsetting to some: depictions of rape, sexism, racism, suicide.

—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

upsetting

2 of 2

present participle of upset entry 1

Synonyms of upsetting

Adjective

• disturbing
• unsettling
• troubling
• frightening

Examples of upsetting in a Sentence

Adjective

the constant arguing is upsetting to a sensitive person like your grandmother

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Working with Israeli journalist David Sheen, the filmmakers seek to track down the suspects, and in one upsetting sequence, Sheen goes undercover in Israel, wearing glasses with a hidden camera to meet Fuchs. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

Intrusive thoughts are unwanted thoughts, images, or urges that can feel upsetting, confusing, or wildly out of character. — Angela Haupt, Time, 28 Oct. 2026

Maggie setting Marge on fire to stop her mom from chopping her into pieces with a kitchen knife is more subversive — and upsetting — than any Disney-era dig from The Simpsons at its corporate overlords. — Joshua Kurp, Vulture, 26 Oct. 2026

This 2006 album from the singer-songwriter is truly upsetting. — Terrence O'Brien, The Verge, 25 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1872, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for upsetting

• abetting
• begetting
• besetting
• bloodletting
• briquetting
• forgetting
• offsetting
• pipetting
• regretting
• resetting
• subletting
• typesetting