unmanning

verb

present participle of unman
1
as in paralyzing
to deprive of courage or confidence the near crash of the airliner was a completely unmanning experience for the passengers

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discouraging
to lessen the courage or confidence of players who wouldn't let themselves be unmanned by the loss of a single game

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unmanning
  1. paralyzing
  2. discouraging
  3. frightening
  4. frustrating
  5. terrifying
  6. intimidating
  7. scaring
  8. emasculating
Verb
  • In 2007, a car accident severed his spinal cord, paralyzing him from the waist down.
    — Maribeth Romslo, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026
  • With a combined readership of 75 million at their peak, Hopper and Parsons wielded extraordinary influence — and instilled paralyzing fear.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of paralyzing
Verb
  • But flying less can raise operating costs per seat, while pushing prices higher risks discouraging travelers who have already absorbed steep increases.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026
  • At the risk of discouraging readers, this chapter’s protagonists will include cholecalciferol, ammonia, neonicotinoids, polyethylene, 17α-methyltestosterone, and diclofenac.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of discouraging
Verb
  • For Cox and Walker, the challenge was to introduce horror-film conventions without frightening the franchise’s youngest viewers.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Powell tried to open the stall door, and then began fondling himself, frightening the 11-year-old, who tried to leave, but Powell blocked him from getting out.
    — Todd Feurer, CBS News, 6 June 2026
Definition of frightening
Verb
  • But Algo’s hyper-logical, computerised process of consistently picking the favourites to win was undone in the second match of the day, with Ghana frustrating England in a 0-0 draw.
    — The Athletic Soccer Experts, New York Times, 24 June 2026
  • The documentary’s contradiction is right there, enthralling us with the wild achievements Potter pulled off and frustrating us with his bombast, leading us to ponder whether, as The Dark Wizard suggests, either could exist without the other.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 7 May 2026
Definition of frustrating
Verb
  • The simple act of a child pedaling down empty hotel hallways on a Big Wheel builds anticipation, terrifying us with what may be around each corner.
    — Radhika Seth, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2026
  • Now a ruthless Emperor, Paul must face the consequences of his reign as old allies return, terrifying new threats emerge, and betrayal lurks in every shadow.
    — Jennifer Ouellette, ArsTechnica, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of terrifying
Verb
  • That house was enormous and sat on the corner with a huge wraparound porch and was intimidating as could be.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 29 Oct. 2026
  • These actions are reckless and run the risk of intimidating and disenfranchising voters.
    — Eric McDaniel, NPR, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of intimidating
Verb
  • Together the duo enjoy scaring themselves into a teeth-chattering but delightful evening.
    — Liz Rosenberg, The Conversation, 23 Oct. 2026
  • Universal announced that Nikki, the character Navarrette plays in Obsession was going to roam all of Horror Nights, scaring people and taking photos like Art the Clown, Dracula, and the Weeknd in years past.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of scaring
Verb
  • In the political sphere—an arena that’s increasingly entangled with social media—figures such as Elon Musk decry empathy as an emasculating plague.
    — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 12 Jan. 2026
  • And yet precisely this dynamic ensures that commitment between men, the kind of domesticity that David and Giovanni attempt to establish in Giovanni’s room, can only ever be emasculating.
    — Garth Greenwell, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Definition of emasculating
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.

Browse Nearby Words

unmannerly
unmanning
unmans
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Cite this Entry

“Unmanning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unmanning. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

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