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 of upsetting

• 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

This made the film upsetting at times; suddenly, the humans dying onscreen began to feel real. —Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 9 Jan. 2026

But this is upsetting (and frazzling) to me on a deeper level. —Korin Miller, SELF, 8 Jan. 2026

This is upsetting Strasbourg’s supporters, and their grievances are multi-pronged. —Phil Hay, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026

The story is unbelievable and upsetting, but the documentary is not exploitative. —James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 Jan. 2026

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