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
Twin Day, a common theme, could be upsetting for kids who don’t have a friend willing to match outfits with them.
—Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025
Lawler: This was really upsetting to many white Virginians who saw the Ohio Valley as their natural right.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
Half of the forward line could be replaced without upsetting things too much.
—James Nalton, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Jack, the first Black world heavyweight champion who is considered one of the most important boxers of all time, was active during the Jim Crow era, upsetting white supremacists with his success and his marriages to white women.
—Yinka Elujoba, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upsetting
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Julie Beck, The Atlantic, 8 May 2025
Lawler: This was really upsetting to many white Virginians who saw the Ohio Valley as their natural right.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Apr. 2025
Half of the forward line could be replaced without upsetting things too much.
—James Nalton, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Jack, the first Black world heavyweight champion who is considered one of the most important boxers of all time, was active during the Jim Crow era, upsetting white supremacists with his success and his marriages to white women.
—Yinka Elujoba, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for upsetting
Cite this Entry
“Upsetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upsetting. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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