disconcerting 1 of 2

Definition of disconcertingnext

disconcerting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of disconcert

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disconcerting
Adjective
None of the emails unearthed so far appear to indicate criminal activity, but are—like the photos—disconcerting. Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 31 Jan. 2026 Here, the opening sentence is disconcerting because the speaker is coming back to a physical space, but is returning from an absence, which is not a physical space. Akhil Sharma, New Yorker, 28 Jan. 2026 Fitting a narrow criteria There’s a more disconcerting reason why so few applied — DeSantis’ exceedingly narrow preference for right-wing soulmates and fellow members of the Federalist Society. Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 22 Jan. 2026 Stray Hairs Stray hairs lingering in the tub drain, on the floor, or in the sink can be quite disconcerting. Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 19 Jan. 2026 For the next few months, though, O’Connell’s riding the high of Sir Jimmy Crystal’s disconcerting magnetism. Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 16 Jan. 2026 Cellos and basses may be rumbling along on a frighteningly low melody, as the woodwinds are pecking like a riot in a chicken coop, while the high strings are sustaining a cluster of odd, disconcerting notes. Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 29 Dec. 2025 The macro view is more disconcerting. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025 Easily the most disconcerting — nay, infuriating — moments in the trailer were when celebrities were introduced into the game. Joe Reid, Vulture, 19 Dec. 2025
Verb
The news is disconcerting for nearby residents like Moody. Olivia Young, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026 As the Alabama Crimson Tide prepare for the rival Auburn Tigers ahead of Saturday’s Iron Bowl, the team received a bit of disconcerting news. Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025 The code, though, is currently often replete with disconcerting troubles. Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2025 This detail, at once tragic and comic, painfully human and stupidly bureaucratic, captures something essential about Schattenfroh, an extremely dark novel about the horrors of modern European history laced with the delirious, disconcerting humor of a Hieronymus Bosch painting. Book Marks september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025 The young actor has a disconcerting awareness of the roiling potential of his changing body. Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 22 Mar. 2025 Even without Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota’s size remains disconcerting to the Nuggets, especially when Aaron Gordon is out. Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025 And disconcerting moments are in the show, such as the larger-than-life black widow spiders that dangle from the ceiling. Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 19 Feb. 2025 The fact all these acquisition titles are leaving snail tracks in their quests for distributors to bring them to theaters or streaming services is disconcerting, for sure. Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 2 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disconcerting
Adjective
  • Private vigilance would prevent public slovenliness and insulate her from accidentally doing something embarrassing.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Mar. 2026
  • Al Gore, a liberal resident, had just become Vice-President, and the Criminal Justice Center was now seen as an embarrassing relic.
    James Verini, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The reason is that missing information and others’ gaslighting are confusing your mind.
    Lisa Stardust, Vogue, 23 Feb. 2026
  • According to Sara Nibler, a recruiter at Redballoon who places candidates in roles ranging from manufacturing to media, job seekers are increasingly confusing the convenience of Zoom with an excuse to abandon basic professional etiquette.
    Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Designed by eccentric furniture designer Max Lamb, these monastically narrow and profoundly uncomfortable seats are the kind of pieces that fill penthouses and palazzos all over the world.
    Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 3 Mar. 2026
  • As Woody Harrelson detailed Harrison Ford's accomplishments from the Actors Awards stage, the famously gruff actor seemed to squirm in his seat, somehow uncomfortable with praise even at the age of 83.
    Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 2 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • In the 78th minute, Manukian completed his brace by rattling a shot into the bottom right corner from 10 yards out.
    Clark Fahrenthold, San Diego Union-Tribune, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Anthropic launched Claude Cowork in a research capacity last month, rattling software stocks as investors grappled with AI's disruptive potential.
    Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 24 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • He is seen as favoring Christine Lagarde, head of the European Central Bank, to take over WEF, though her huffy exit this year from a dinner stacked with US government officials may make things awkward.
    semafor.com, semafor.com, 3 Mar. 2026
  • His selection could prove awkward, as the Islamic Republic has long criticized hereditary rule and cast itself as a more just alternative.
    ABC News, ABC News, 2 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The 12 villas come with a living room, a separate bedroom, and kitchen stocked with complimentary snacks and drinks from the mini bar, a pre-dinner amuse bouche from the chef each evening, and a patio with a separate entrance for staffers to set up morning breakfast without disturbing you.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2026
  • Set in the 1990s, the film centers on a young FBI agent (Maika Monroe) who investigates a series of disturbing murders connected by highly specific commonalities.
    Kevin Jacobsen, Entertainment Weekly, 21 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • But blackouts have become an unpleasant routine.
    Israel Melendez Ayala, Time, 28 Feb. 2026
  • Standing water, combined with food residue, can create unpleasant odors.
    Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • Mascherano said his second-half lineup change was a difficult one to make.
    Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 2 Mar. 2026
  • The winners said the warmer-than-normal conditions made a challenging course even more difficult.
    Bo Evans, CBS News, 1 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Disconcerting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disconcerting. Accessed 5 Mar. 2026.

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