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
Synonyms
Examples of upsetting in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Even the executives of the nation’s leading defense contractors, such as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, are cautious about upsetting Chinese-Japanese relations, fearing that their business activities in China could face severe repercussions.
—Tomohiko Taniguchi, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
Vance, meanwhile, is awake, although Palmer (Brian Dietzen) warns McGee and Parker (Gary Cole) to avoid any upsetting topics.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
But while a boon for the macro economy, the influx has chafed with locals who increasingly complain that Russians are stealing jobs and upsetting cultural mores.
—TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
Perspective Carolyn Hax: How to transition a neighbor’s flirty banter into something mo...
Perspective
Neighbors keep upsetting family’s dog.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
If a player has already lost a substantial amount of money, requesting them to stop can feel upsetting.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
The Wolfpack backed up their win over Stanford by upsetting Texas 76-66 in the Elite Eight, thereby taking out the No. 1 and 2 seeds in that region.
—Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
To better understand the thought and the beliefs underlying it, ask yourself what’s so upsetting about the scenario, Strunk said.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
Many projects don’t deserve this negative press and it’s been upsetting for the reliable developers in the space.
—Mark Le Dain, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
Tomohiko Taniguchi, Foreign Affairs, 16 Apr. 2024
Vance, meanwhile, is awake, although Palmer (Brian Dietzen) warns McGee and Parker (Gary Cole) to avoid any upsetting topics.
—Sara Netzley, EW.com, 16 Apr. 2024
But while a boon for the macro economy, the influx has chafed with locals who increasingly complain that Russians are stealing jobs and upsetting cultural mores.
—TIME, 11 Apr. 2024
Perspective Carolyn Hax: How to transition a neighbor’s flirty banter into something mo...
Perspective
Neighbors keep upsetting family’s dog.
—Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
If a player has already lost a substantial amount of money, requesting them to stop can feel upsetting.
—Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024
The Wolfpack backed up their win over Stanford by upsetting Texas 76-66 in the Elite Eight, thereby taking out the No. 1 and 2 seeds in that region.
—Jeff Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 2 Apr. 2024
To better understand the thought and the beliefs underlying it, ask yourself what’s so upsetting about the scenario, Strunk said.
—Kristen Rogers, CNN, 2 Apr. 2024
Many projects don’t deserve this negative press and it’s been upsetting for the reliable developers in the space.
—Mark Le Dain, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'upsetting.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near upsetting
Cite this Entry
“Upsetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upsetting. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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