as in embarrassing
causing embarrassment
a disconcerting habit of chewing with his mouth open
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in confusing
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
we were disconcerted by the unexpected changes to the program
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
The disconcerting answer is that nobody knows.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Ending up in a small coastal town in Greece, her initially peaceful trip takes a disconcerting turn when a young family staying at a nearby villa unearths painful memories.
—Alex Gurley, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The uptick in closures is particularly disconcerting given that the Irish whiskey industry had been booming as recently as two years ago.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 Aug. 2025
Book Marks
september 11, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
There doesn’t seem to be anything untoward or disconcerting about this interest in physical health and well-being.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 2 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
That text message turned out to be the first in a series of disconcerting messages friends and family members would apparently receive from Michael Shaver over the course of the next two and a half years.
—Paige Harriss, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2025
Russia was becoming more closed, and this was disconcerting for a generation that had grown up in a modernized and relatively open society.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2024
Adjective
For some—for me—the experience of certain kinds of anxiety has a disconcerting synesthetic quality.
—Scott Stossel, The Atlantic, 9 Sep. 2025
The disconcerting answer is that nobody knows.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Ending up in a small coastal town in Greece, her initially peaceful trip takes a disconcerting turn when a young family staying at a nearby villa unearths painful memories.
—Alex Gurley, People.com, 31 Aug. 2025
The uptick in closures is particularly disconcerting given that the Irish whiskey industry had been booming as recently as two years ago.
—Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 11 Aug. 2025
Verb
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
There doesn’t seem to be anything untoward or disconcerting about this interest in physical health and well-being.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 2 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
That text message turned out to be the first in a series of disconcerting messages friends and family members would apparently receive from Michael Shaver over the course of the next two and a half years.
—Paige Harriss, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2025
Russia was becoming more closed, and this was disconcerting for a generation that had grown up in a modernized and relatively open society.
—Andrei Kolesnikov, Foreign Affairs, 15 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disconcerting
Adjective
-
Other newborns were given away by their grandparents who conspired with doctors, priests and nuns to hide a daughter’s socially embarrassing pregnancy.—
Rafael Romo,
CNN Money,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Fear of failure Failure can be disheartening, embarrassing and often downright devastating — especially in entrepreneurship, when your reputation and finances could be on the line.—
Ashton Jackson,
CNBC,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Since its creation in 2007, only about 2% of applicants had successfully received forgiveness before the pandemic, largely due to confusing eligibility rules and administrative mismanagement.—
Leadership Brainery,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Beneficiaries would have to verify their own identities by using an often-confusing web portal or by traveling to a field office to do it in person.—
Eli Hager,
ProPublica,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Candidate quality is an uncomfortable topic for political parties.—
Kimberly Ross,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
-
These gems combine the functionality of a bra with the comfort of a cozy piece of clothing, complete with bra shelves or cups to help support the girls without the need for an extra (and sometimes uncomfortable) wires and layers.—
Alanna Martine Kilkeary,
Glamour,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
While there is little doubt about the outcome of the Fed meeting, there are still questions over who exactly will be voting—setting up some very awkward dynamics.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
14 Sep. 2025
-
This leaves the broader discourse around Kirk’s assassination in an awkward position, deprived of the certainty that so many crave.—
Charlie Warzel,
The Atlantic,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
No rattling wheels, no jolts, just a smooth, whisper-quiet ride.—
Kaif Shaikh,
Interesting Engineering,
15 Sep. 2025
-
At Chapman University, senior Zack Dell said the assassination has been rattling.—
Hanna Kang,
Oc Register,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Fortunately, there are straightforward ways to reduce your chances of being confronted with violent or disturbing videos.—
Annie Margaret,
CNN Money,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Celebrating the assassination of a 31 year old father of two young kids is disturbing; that teachers would be among those who do so is completely unacceptable.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Just the prospect of interacting with that person can be unpleasant or feel draining.—
Josh Davis,
Fortune,
17 Sep. 2025
-
One unpleasant but necessary aspect of board service is disciplinary action against unneighborly behavior by members.—
Kelly G. Richardson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Ncell, Nepal’s second-largest telecommunications service provider, noted that shutting down all platforms at once was, in any case, technically difficult and warned that the move would severely impact business.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Last summer, after years of hip problems and some difficult surgeries to address them, Jill had an operation that went poorly.—
Bianca Bosker,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disconcerting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disconcerting. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share