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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in unstrung
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
2
as in powerless
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unnerved
Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
His relatives have cut contact, unnerved by the flock of police that tail him.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Leann Williams, a resident of New Orleans neighborhood Tremé, was unnerved by the sight of heavily armed military personnel holding machine guns at the Superdome.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 27 Aug. 2025
Brooks, the 28-year-old Wales international winger, was key to the visitors’ effort, producing a superb cross to assist Antoine Semenyo’s first goal, and integral to a pressing that unnerved Liverpool all night.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
For Birkin, getting older meant a kind of invisibility, a prospect that at once unnerved and elated her.
—Anahid Nersessian, New Yorker, 15 Sep. 2025
His relatives have cut contact, unnerved by the flock of police that tail him.
—Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 9 Sep. 2025
Leann Williams, a resident of New Orleans neighborhood Tremé, was unnerved by the sight of heavily armed military personnel holding machine guns at the Superdome.
—Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 27 Aug. 2025
Brooks, the 28-year-old Wales international winger, was key to the visitors’ effort, producing a superb cross to assist Antoine Semenyo’s first goal, and integral to a pressing that unnerved Liverpool all night.
—Adam Crafton, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2025
Adjective
The new administration’s unorthodox business policies — plus questions about the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate thinking — have unnerved many business owners and corporate executives.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerved
Verb
-
Quantity beats quality when you're paralyzed by perfection.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
-
And during trial, I was also threatened to be paralyzed by Elijah.—
Miguel Torres,
AZCentral.com,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, the State Public Defender office is struggling to attract law school graduates who are discouraged by low pay and the demanding nature of public defender appointments while still paying off student loans.—
MARGARET SHREINER,
jsonline.com,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Her ancestor’s analytic model discouraged self-revelation by the therapist, but Freud often meets her guests’ excavations of desire and vulnerability with her own candid recollections.—
Rebecca Mead,
New Yorker,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
When the Premier Lacrosse League’s Boston Cannons opened training camp back in May with unstrung lacrosse stick heads, players knew who to ask for an assist.—
Eric Jackson,
Sportico.com,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In three negative market periods from above (2001, 2007, 2019), it could be argued the Fed was either late to cut or was powerless to provide an immediate cushion to the market.—
Randy Watts,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The text is meant to illustrate (with humor) just how powerless some parents feel during the weaning process.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Family pets, especially dogs, are frightened by the noise and will hide or try to run away.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Aug. 2025
-
In the first Nobody, Odenkirk’s Hutch has to reignite the sleeping assassin within himself after his family was frightened by a botched home invasion.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Economic insecurity and political corruption have for years left many of Nepal’s youth frustrated, setting the stage for today’s protest movement.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
-
As a baby boomer and an amateur genealogist, I am continually frustrated by the lack of interest my grandchildren’s generation seems to have in learning about their family history — particularly mine.—
Jeanne Phillips,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The director noticed that the exhausted Sheen couldn't keep his eyes open even when cameras were rolling.—
Bryan Alexander,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
-
The result is not just one exhausted employee, but a system that steadily depletes its people.—
Sandro da Silva,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Noah is a debt-addled, nerdy middle-aged who feels totally emasculated by his inability to get a project off the ground.—
Sam Bodrojan,
IndieWire,
11 Sep. 2025
-
Blake is not an emasculated wimp; his confidence is complete, his suavity bordering on the toxic.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
9 Apr. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Unnerved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerved. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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