as in disturbing
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
the unnerving news of yet another murder
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in paralyzing
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discouraging
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
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Recent Examples of unnerving
Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
What’s most visually unnerving is the painful, prolonged transformation people undergo after receiving their shot or catching the virus.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
Murphy’s return, for DaCosta, helps give balance to a rather unnerving movie franchise.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Even when Jokic’s knee injury was revealed to be only a bone bruise the next day, the concept of at least four weeks without him was unnerving to a city so accustomed to his presence on the court.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Shudder is fueling its post–10-year-anniversary momentum with an instantly unnerving trailer debut — exclusive to IndieWire.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Jan. 2026
During an on-stage demonstration at this year’s CES convention in Las Vegas, Boston Dynamics showed off the agility of its humanoid Atlas robot — albeit with an unnerving degree of freedom of movement that dispels the illusion of a human entity.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 7 Jan. 2026
Bug was first staged in London in 1996 and later produced Off-Broadway in 2004, earning a reputation as one of Letts’ most unnerving works.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
After all, there's something inherently unnerving about this festive, cozy time being disrupted by dangerous intruders (Black Christmas) or murderous supernatural creatures (Krampus).
—Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Dec. 2025
Especially unnerving this year for hoteliers was a far less robust summer than normal, so much so that nightly rates for the hotel group fell by as much as 10%, depending on the day of the week, Gleason said.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
Immigration crackdowns are unnerving a part of the population.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 26 Nov. 2025
The witchy gothic nature of their song captures the haunted, unnerving quality of Emily Brontë’s novel.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
Israeli forces struck Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, unnerving a White House that feared the bombing campaign would derail its efforts at diplomacy.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Not all horror stories rely on jump scares and violent spectacle; some unearth their horrors from unnerving philosophical considerations.
—Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025
Nonetheless, Lloyd's production is handsomely realized, with striking silhouetttes courtesy of Jon Clark and unnerving sound design by Ben and Max Ringham, who add a low whirr of dread to the existential fable.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
Incompetence has a way of unnerving its witnesses.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
The size of the debt is difficult to comprehend and also unnerving, even to many who are used to very large numbers.
—Erik Sherman, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026
What’s most visually unnerving is the painful, prolonged transformation people undergo after receiving their shot or catching the virus.
—Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 21 Jan. 2026
Murphy’s return, for DaCosta, helps give balance to a rather unnerving movie franchise.
—Brian Truitt, USA Today, 17 Jan. 2026
Even when Jokic’s knee injury was revealed to be only a bone bruise the next day, the concept of at least four weeks without him was unnerving to a city so accustomed to his presence on the court.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 15 Jan. 2026
Shudder is fueling its post–10-year-anniversary momentum with an instantly unnerving trailer debut — exclusive to IndieWire.
—Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 8 Jan. 2026
During an on-stage demonstration at this year’s CES convention in Las Vegas, Boston Dynamics showed off the agility of its humanoid Atlas robot — albeit with an unnerving degree of freedom of movement that dispels the illusion of a human entity.
—Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 7 Jan. 2026
Bug was first staged in London in 1996 and later produced Off-Broadway in 2004, earning a reputation as one of Letts’ most unnerving works.
—Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026
After all, there's something inherently unnerving about this festive, cozy time being disrupted by dangerous intruders (Black Christmas) or murderous supernatural creatures (Krampus).
—Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 19 Dec. 2025
Verb
The videos shared by robot builder and researcher Logan Olson from October show the training exercise that enables a humanoid unit to suddenly drop to all fours and crawl at an unnerving speed and with unnerving flexibility.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Dec. 2025
Especially unnerving this year for hoteliers was a far less robust summer than normal, so much so that nightly rates for the hotel group fell by as much as 10%, depending on the day of the week, Gleason said.
—Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Nov. 2025
Immigration crackdowns are unnerving a part of the population.
—Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 26 Nov. 2025
The witchy gothic nature of their song captures the haunted, unnerving quality of Emily Brontë’s novel.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
Israeli forces struck Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, unnerving a White House that feared the bombing campaign would derail its efforts at diplomacy.
—Eric Cortellessa, Time, 23 Oct. 2025
Not all horror stories rely on jump scares and violent spectacle; some unearth their horrors from unnerving philosophical considerations.
—Big Think, 14 Oct. 2025
Nonetheless, Lloyd's production is handsomely realized, with striking silhouetttes courtesy of Jon Clark and unnerving sound design by Ben and Max Ringham, who add a low whirr of dread to the existential fable.
—Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 29 Sep. 2025
Incompetence has a way of unnerving its witnesses.
—Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 13 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerving
Adjective
-
Some of those revelations are deeply disturbing.—
NBC news,
NBC news,
1 Feb. 2026
-
These disturbing images raise even more questions about Epstein and his relationships with some of the most powerful men in the world.—
Lori A Bashian,
FOXNews.com,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The region is grappling with a winter storm that is paralyzing activity in the area with freezing precipitation on its roads, discouraging shoppers from heading out to stores.—
Brian Womack,
Dallas Morning News,
24 Jan. 2026
-
An inspiration to all is assistant manager of excursions Kineret Munoz, who hasn’t let a paralyzing car accident dampen her spirit of adventure one little bit.—
Sarah Marshall,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The challenge for executives is to create organizational conditions that encourage these productive patterns while discouraging the seductive but self-defeating path of full automation.—
François Candelon,
Fortune,
30 Jan. 2026
-
In the spirit of discouraging intimacy pre-engagement, courting couples did not use each other's first names—at least, not in public.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Chalk the moves up to uneasy investors.—
Brandon Kochkodin,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
-
Kelly and King shake things up around the half-hour mark by venturing into the real world, where Grace (Cristin Milioti), the mother of two boys unusually far apart in age, starts being overcome by uneasy feelings about a cold dark void.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
-
Kids will love sending this Dilophosaurus sauntering across the floor, frightening everything and everyone in his path.—
Pamela Brill,
Parents,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
On the unsettling meme economy in the aftermath of violence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Uncertainty can be unsettling nonetheless.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That’s terrifying on a whole different level.—
Will Harris,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Jan. 2026
-
At another level, there does seem to be something absurd and even terrifying about the idea that someone who is not elected can become the leader of a country and then will be recognized as the leader of that country and receive the immunities afforded to heads of state.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
3 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unnerving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerving. Accessed 3 Feb. 2026.
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