1
as in unstrung
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2
as in powerless
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Dissimilar Words
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
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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
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Recent Examples of unnerved
semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Even Venezuelans thrilled to see Maduro gone have reason to be unnerved.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2026
In addition, the creation of the fetishes, with their bits of bone, dirt, plants, and other objects, also unnerved enslavers and colonists.
—Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Between the first incident involving Itsaragrisil until — and after — Bosch's crowning, Sapini told PEOPLE that she was consistently unnerved by the conditions of the competition.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025
In the short clip, Bonnie (who first became the owner of the toy crew in Toy Story 3 when Andy went to college) gets a package, and all of the toys are unnerved by its contents.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Nov. 2025
So unnerved that — after pouring his heart out to the young writer — Allman demanded to see his ID card.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Nov. 2025
Investors appeared unnerved by big increases in spending that Meta Platforms and Microsoft are planning as the investment spree related to artificial-intelligence technology keeps gushing.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
But over the past year, YouTube’s domination of The Gauge has unnerved executives at some competitors.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
Yun Li, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
At the same time, the state assemblyman’s calls to raise taxes on wealthy people and intense criticisms of the Israel’s military actions in Gaza have unnerved some centrists and conservatives, as well as many Jewish New Yorkers.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
At the same time, the state assemblyman's calls to raise taxes on the wealthy and intense criticisms of the Israeli government's military actions in Gaza have unnerved some centrists and conservatives.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
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
Adjective
Investors were unnerved by Mali’s imposition of the new mining code, as well as punitive measures that included legal action against the company and the jailing of four of its employees.
—semafor.com, 19 Jan. 2026
Even Venezuelans thrilled to see Maduro gone have reason to be unnerved.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 10 Jan. 2026
In addition, the creation of the fetishes, with their bits of bone, dirt, plants, and other objects, also unnerved enslavers and colonists.
—Literary Hub, 5 Jan. 2026
Between the first incident involving Itsaragrisil until — and after — Bosch's crowning, Sapini told PEOPLE that she was consistently unnerved by the conditions of the competition.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 3 Dec. 2025
In the short clip, Bonnie (who first became the owner of the toy crew in Toy Story 3 when Andy went to college) gets a package, and all of the toys are unnerved by its contents.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Nov. 2025
So unnerved that — after pouring his heart out to the young writer — Allman demanded to see his ID card.
—George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Nov. 2025
Investors appeared unnerved by big increases in spending that Meta Platforms and Microsoft are planning as the investment spree related to artificial-intelligence technology keeps gushing.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2025
But over the past year, YouTube’s domination of The Gauge has unnerved executives at some competitors.
—Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
Verb
Michael Burry unnerved investors this week with seemingly fresh wagers against artificial intelligence favorites Nvidia and Palantir Technologies .
—Yun Li, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2025
At the same time, the state assemblyman’s calls to raise taxes on wealthy people and intense criticisms of the Israel’s military actions in Gaza have unnerved some centrists and conservatives, as well as many Jewish New Yorkers.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 17 Oct. 2025
At the same time, the state assemblyman's calls to raise taxes on the wealthy and intense criticisms of the Israeli government's military actions in Gaza have unnerved some centrists and conservatives.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Oct. 2025
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
Adjective
-
Foster gives a taut performance despite the unstrung absurdities of the plot.—
Hilton Als,
New Yorker,
16 Jan. 2026
-
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
-
The neighbors gathering, shouting, whistling, screaming for help… help that is a message of love but like all love powerless to prevent the hurt from happening.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
As spectators, we are cursed to be onlookers — powerless to help, despite our desire to.—
Blake Simons,
IndieWire,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
For the cover of the February 2, 2026, issue, the artist Peter de Sève celebrates the brave souls who continue to work when the city is paralyzed by a snowstorm.—
Françoise Mouly,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
-
No matter that Goetz had severed Cabey’s spinal cord and permanently paralyzed him from the waist down.—
Heather Ann Thompson,
The Atlantic,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Geographic barriers and limited profit potential have long discouraged private internet service providers from these areas, thus necessitating public investment.—
Letters to the Editor,
Oc Register,
24 Jan. 2026
-
The practice has been around for decades but surged in popularity after post-2008 financial crisis regulations discouraged banks from serving riskier borrowers.—
Hugh Son,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
But as reserves become exhausted, shivering stops and body temperature continues to fall.—
Jesse Pines,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
But as Liberato and his crew grew exhausted, the vibe shifted.—
Frederick Dreier,
Outside,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Frank feels emasculated by everyone and everything.—
Matt Zoller Seitz,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
-
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
Verb
-
And my father—lovable but imposing, a strapping six feet three inches tall with a thick, bristly mustache and a rumbling Sergeant Schultz accent that frightened my friends half to death—loved to tell stories.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Dec. 2025
-
Fortune had reported in its investigation that people within the agency were frightened of examining Boring Company after two staffers who worked on the case had been disciplined.—
Jessica Mathews,
Fortune,
20 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Ukraine has also been frustrated by political disagreements within Europe over how to deal with Russia, as well as the bloc's at times slow-moving responses.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
23 Jan. 2026
-
But — no different from those of any color frustrated by economic inequality — white people who see the unfairness in our current systems, from schools to retirement, are fed up and angry and rightfully want change.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unnerved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerved. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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