as in embarrassing
causing embarrassment
a disconcerting habit of chewing with his mouth open
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Recent Examples of 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
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
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
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
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
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disconcerting
Adjective
-
Bree begs Lucy not to make the embarrassing choice for once.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
17 Feb. 2026
-
At least one of the references is highly embarrassing, referring to a young Eugenie’s private life.—
Lauren Said-Moorhouse,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The citizens of Texas are confusing hospitality for complacency.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Registration deadlines, confusing rules and inconsistent access make participation harder at the very moment young people become eligible to vote.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, the situation at the Ankara State Theater has uncomfortable parallels with the recent shuttering of the Kennedy Center in Washington in response to the artists boycotting it in protest at its rebranding.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2026
-
The role of any newspaper, especially one with the long and proud legacy of The Sun, is not to smooth over uncomfortable realities in the name of civility.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The move revived memories of blatant tampering with inflation statistics by past populist governments, rattling investor confidence and public trust.—
Isabel Debre,
Fortune,
11 Feb. 2026
-
In the latest violence rattling the fragile ceasefire, medics said two men were killed by Israeli forces in eastern Khan Younis, in an area adjacent to where the army operates.—
Nidal al-Mughrabi,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Reaching backward or twisting around other people to grab a bag is awkward and strains muscles.—
Stacey Leasca,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
-
These things are often awkward at the best of times and with the best of families, but this oddball mess of a household might just be the actual worst.—
David Opie,
IndieWire,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Managing the genetic health of such a small population is essential for the species’ long-term viability, and the hair-collection method offers a noninvasive way to gather vital data without disturbing the wombats in their burrows.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
-
The killings shocked the community, as did Caneiro's trial, which laid out disturbing details of betrayal and violence within the family.—
Christine Sloan,
CBS News,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
When Luna conjoins intense Pluto, our feelings about such shifts might burst out in unpleasant ways!—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Though a person infected with the virus may experience unpleasant symptoms, others may be asymptomatic and show no symptoms at all.—
Adrianna Rodriguez,
USA Today,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The voracious reader said that the best books, those that brought him happiness, were not the ones that ease our way in this strange and difficult world.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
16 Feb. 2026
-
Local farmers work long hours, often under difficult conditions, to ensure our food supply remains steady.—
Joe Dymek,
Baltimore Sun,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disconcerting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disconcerting. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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