UNNERVES Synonyms: 91 Similar and Opposite Words

unnerves

verb

present tense third-person singular of unnerve

as in paralyzes

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in discourages

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

Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of unnerves The surveillance capability that unnerves some critics can be vital to a police investigation, according to Gray, of the University of New Haven. — Max Zahn, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 There are no scares, nothing unnerves, there’s no intrigue in sight. — Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 7 Aug. 2026 But spending her nights on the casino floor was only Charbonneau’s first step toward embodying Cay, a free-spirited sculptor by day who unnerves Vivan from their first, cinematic encounter. — Elaina Patton, IndieWire, 16 June 2026 The idea unnerves critics but thrills its architects. — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 6 May 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerves

Verb

During REM sleep, one of the periods of rest when dreams are most likely, the brainstem paralyzes the body’s muscles, except, of course, those that move our eyes and keep us breathing.

— RJ Mackenzie, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2026
Kosowski, prosecutors theorized, killed Cozzi with succinylcholine, a fast-acting drug that paralyzes muscles, and threw his body in a Collier County dumpster during a drive to Miami.

— Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of paralyzes

Verb

The cancer society no longer recommends screening at 75 — while acknowledging that particularly healthy 75- to 79-year-olds may choose to continue — and discourages it once men turn 80.

— CBS News, CBS News, 12 Nov. 2026
The American Veterinary Medical Association strongly discourages declawing as an elective procedure, but defers to veterinarians on each case.

— Martin E. Comas, The Orlando Sentinel, 11 Nov. 2026

Definition of discourages

Verb

The prospect of Sean Steur or Lewis Hall — whose contract situation Wilson refused to be drawn on, despite being asked three times — leaving is not something which frightens the hierarchy.

— Chris Waugh, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Penelope, too, is asked to occupy a landscape that frightens her, not only as a neurodivergent child in a neurotypical culture, but as a child now situated in an adult world.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of frightens

Verb

This frustrates Americans, who tend to seek simple, quick, and permanent fixes to foreign policy problems.

— S. C. M. Paine, Foreign Affairs, 3 Nov. 2026
What frustrates him most is the reflexive apology that typically accompanies the accessibility gap instead, often getting in the way of real problem-solving.

— Maribeth Romslo, Rolling Stone, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of frustrates

Verb

Watch On In this Canadian cult classic that doubles as a coming-of-age story, a sardonic goth transforms into a werewolf in the days leading up to Halloween and terrifies her younger sister.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 22 Oct. 2026
Black Palace is set in 1888 London as an emerging tabloid media terrifies the public with lurid stories of infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of terrifies

Verb

Before their conversation can go any further, Morgan scares himself by remembering that tabloids used to tap celebrities’ phones to get gossip fodder, and hangs up on her.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026
Dozens of other Halloween 2026 events in Metro Detroit are listed in the CBS News Detroit treats and scares roundup.

— Jack Springgate, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of scares

Verb

What intimidates some potential patients, though, is the fact that Botox is derived from botulinum toxin A — a toxic substance which, if mishandled, can lead to death.

— Norah O'Donnell, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026
Melanie Melanie came to this reunion prepared with both facts and a prosecutorial confrontation style that effectively intimidates all of her on-stage opponents.

— Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of intimidates

Verb

Spry said the attacker could have targeted any neighborhood residents — a thought that still unsettles her, given how easily the situation could have escalated.

— Doha Madani, NBC news, 5 Aug. 2026
That is precisely the capability that unsettles underwriters, because an agent that can decide is an agent that can decide wrongly, and fast.

— Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 12 June 2026

Definition of unsettles

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unnerved

unnerves

unnerving

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“Unnerves.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerves. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of unnerves

verb

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