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

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

Synonyms

• disturbing
• unsettling
• troubling
• frightening

Examples of upsetting in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

These memories will be both upsetting and bittersweet. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2025

As Grace makes her way through a particularly punishing period in her coming-of-age, researching Morissette’s own path is illuminating (and upsetting), for both the character and Levack’s audience. —Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2025

Hit with upsetting investment news? —Usa Today, USA Today, 3 Sep. 2025

The news of Broadbelt’s death was extremely upsetting and scary, Rhodriguez said. —Amanda Rosa, Miami Herald, 2 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for upsetting

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