Synonyms of unnerved

unnerved 1 of 2

adjective

1

as in unstrung

Related Words

• unstrung
• exhausted
• nervous
• unmanned
• undone
• stressed
• tired
• upset
• troubled
• uneasy
• angry
• knackered
• perturbed
• disturbed
• tense
• irritated
• exasperated
• annoyed
• agitated
• aggravated
• burned-out
• edgy
• shell-shocked
• worn-out
• stressed-out

Dissimilar Words

• rested
• relaxed
• unconcerned
• carefree
• lighthearted
• laid-back
• happy-go-lucky
• devil-may-care

2

as in powerless

Related Words

• powerless
• emasculated
• impotent
• meek
• submissive
• ineffective
• ineffectual
• lamblike
• unscrupulous
• flabby
• flaccid
• timid
• pliable
• unprincipled
• corrupt
• forceless
• weakened
• impuissant
• weak
• villainous
• dastardly
• wimpish
• nerveless
• pusillanimous
• wimpy
• craven
• weak-kneed
• irresolute
• cowardly
• spineless
• frail
• fainthearted
• effete
• characterless
• invertebrate
• wishy-washy
• wet
• milk-and-water
• weakling
• sissy
• infirm
• nebbishy
• limp-wristed
• lily-livered
• namby-pamby
• soft
• vacillating
• poltroon

Dissimilar Words

• strong
• tough
• hard
• firm
• good
• right
• moral
• virtuous
• righteous
• ethical
• determined
• upright
• principled
• resolute
• unrelenting
• backboned
• courageous
• stalwart
• mettlesome
• stouthearted

unnerved

2 of 2

verb

past tense of unnerve

1

as in paralyzed

to deprive of courage or confidence

the riding accident so unnerved me that for a while I was afraid to get back on a horse

Synonyms & Similar Words

• paralyzed
• frightened
• terrified
• scared
• intimidated
• unsettled
• emasculated
• demoralized
• disturbed
• weakened
• undid
• wasted
• unmanned
• debilitated
• enfeebled
• discouraged
• upset
• terrorized
• enervated
• unstrung
• daunted
• dismayed
• softened
• tired
• sapped
• disheartened
• dispirited
• perturbed
• disquieted
• neutered
• crazed
• fazed
• maddened
• unhinged
• deranged
• unbalanced
• prostrated
• discomposed
• psyched (out)
• weirded out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• strengthened
• encouraged
• fortified
• nerved
• emboldened
• heartened

2

as in discouraged

to lessen the courage or confidence of

a figure skater can't afford to be unnerved by an occasional slipup

Synonyms & Similar Words

• discouraged
• frustrated
• daunted
• frightened
• dismayed
• disheartened
• intimidated
• scared
• horrified
• dispirited
• worried
• troubled
• demoralized
• bothered
• afflicted
• cowed
• chilled
• saddened
• threw cold water on
• distressed
• bullied
• irked
• unmanned
• weighed
• tried
• depressed
• weakened
• vexed
• undermined
• browbeat
• debilitated
• deadened
• enfeebled
• dampened
• damped

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• encouraged
• cheered
• emboldened
• heartened
• reinforced
• assured
• enforced
• animated
• nerved
• reassured
• strengthened
• steeled
• excited
• gladdened
• inspired
• stimulated
• fortified
• enlivened
• provoked
• invigorated
• lifted
• stirred
• buoyed (up)
• energized
• quickened
• galvanized
• rallied
• boosted

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of unnerved

Adjective

McIlroy never seemed unnerved by the pressure of following the supernova that was Woods. — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 13 Apr. 2026

The resultant sonic boom shock waves frequently shattered windows, cracked building walls, and unnerved citizens within earshot. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 1 July 2026

At England’s training on Sunday, British reporters admitted to being unnerved. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 15 June 2026

But civil libertarians are unnerved about casting such a wide dragnet that captures highly personal information from hundreds or perhaps thousands of people who aren’t criminals. — Bart Jansen, USA Today, 26 Apr. 2026

Vice Mayor Ben Sorensen, unnerved by talk of statewide property tax reform and a looming multiyear budget deficit, is now having second thoughts about committing all that money to a futuristic City Hall. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 14 Apr. 2026

David Rubenstein, the son of a Baltimore postal worker, was frustrated in a Washington law firm when he was both inspired by a wildly successful leveraged buyout and unnerved by a book that claimed the odds of successfully starting a company plummets after 37. — Diane Brady, Fortune, 24 June 2026

The China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station, the Navy’s largest base for developing and testing weapons of warfare, suffered billions of dollars in damage, and the fact that the second quake was scarier than the first unnerved many Californians. — Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026

Know More Claude Mythos’ unveiling — and partial release — has unnerved financial authorities, with the US Treasury secretary summoning leaders of US banks to discuss the risk to financial security, and British banking regulators doing likewise. — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 13 Apr. 2026

Verb

The baby boomer bank leader took to LinkedIn to admit that his words had unnerved some of his coworkers. — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 26 May 2026

The Fed targets a 2% inflation rate, and officials will likely be unnerved by a steady increase. — Christopher Rugaber, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2026

Even counting flaws that come with the system and his decisions that have unnerved some China watchers, however, time is on Xi’s side. — Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 13 May 2026

But their existence is an open secret, and the Iranian missile’s coming so close to the facility will have unnerved some. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 23 Mar. 2026

The results unnerved some, with viewers posting on social media about the uncanny quality of the interviewees. — Jake Kanter, Deadline, 13 Mar. 2026

Domingo plays the King of Pop's late, controversial father in Michael, making a physical transformation for the film that unnerved even its director. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Mar. 2026

Larsen and other entrepreneurs, unnerved by the election of democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani in New York and increasing calls across the US for taxes on wealth, fear that the measure could undo efforts to make San Francisco more business-friendly. — Bloomberg, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026

Perhaps coincidentally, OpenAI is considering delaying its IPO, The New York Times reported, with executives unnerved by SpaceX’s volatile debut and stock-market choppiness. — Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 26 June 2026