Synonyms of unsettling

unsettling 1 of 2

adjective

ˌən-ˈset-liŋ

1

as in disturbing

causing worry or anxiety

unsettling new developments in the effort to bring peace and stability to that region

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disturbing
• troubling
• frightening
• scary
• upsetting
• disquieting
• distressing
• nasty
• troublesome
• discomforting
• worrisome
• perturbing
• terrifying
• shocking
• terrible
• horrible
• nagging
• troublous
• disconcerting
• discouraging
• dismaying
• discomposing
• dire
• daunting
• alarming
• discomfiting
• disheartening
• demoralizing
• chilling
• dispiriting
• dread
• dreadful
• direful
• horrifying
• fearful
• formidable
• forbidding
• ghastly
• frightful
• intimidating
• persecutory
• horrendous
• fearsome
• harassing
• persecutive
• hair-raising

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reassuring
• settling
• soothing
• calming
• comforting
• narcotic
• dreamy
• relaxing
• sedative
• inviting
• quieting
• tranquilizing
• consoling
• lulling
• pacifying

2

as in uneasy

marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings

had the unsettling task of picking out a coffin and making the other funeral arrangements for his father

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disturbing
• uneasy
• tense
• anxious
• unnerving
• nervous
• restless
• creepy
• disquieting
• distressing
• worrisome
• distressful
• fraught
• agitating
• embarrassing
• hairy
• nerve-racking
• nail-biting
• troublesome
• strained
• awkward
• bothersome
• discouraging
• foreboding
• disheartening
• restive
• misgiving
• unrestful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• quiet
• comfortable
• peaceful
• tranquil
• calming
• restful
• quieting
• pacific

unsettling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of unsettle

as in alarming

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

the news that the local grocery store had sold contaminated produce unsettled many shoppers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disturbing
• alarming
• distracting
• worrying
• bothering
• concerning
• haunting
• distressing
• upsetting
• disquieting
• angering
• discomforting
• agitating
• dismaying
• annoying
• plaguing
• perturbing
• irritating
• confusing
• unhinging
• undoing
• embarrassing
• ailing
• derailing
• rattling
• exercising
• freaking (out)
• exasperating
• aggravating
• fussing
• flurrying
• distempering
• discomposing
• bugging
• frazzling
• vexing
• discouraging
• disconcerting
• weirding out
• harassing
• hagriding
• jarring
• discomfiting
• nettling
• irking
• unnerving
• galling
• grating
• harrying
• pestering
• riling
• mortifying
• confounding
• chafing
• fretting
• bedeviling
• daunting
• putting off
• piquing
• disheartening
• putting out
• getting
• dispiriting
• chivying
• demoralizing
• flustering
• peeving
• shaking up
• discountenancing
• nonplussing
• abashing
• fazing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• soothing
• calming
• settling
• composing
• quieting
• alleviating
• tranquilizing
• allaying
• appeasing
• pacifying
• placating
• assuaging
• conciliating
• mollifying
• propitiating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of unsettling

Adjective

Ema, who can see and hear the dead, receives an unexpected visit from her niece Julie, who shares the same unsettling gift. — John Hopewell, Variety, 28 July 2026

Craig’s pre-planned time off from the Today show comes after an unsettling exchange amid a security breach at 30 Rockefeller Center on July 16. — Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026

Verb

The over 13-minute uncut interview shows the rapper thoroughly unsettling Colbert, in an improvised rap about, among other things, a romantic relationship between the pair of them. — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 20 May 2026

But as dubious therapies and unsettling postcolonial rituals blur the line between wellness and manipulation, Alexa begins uncovering the disturbing forces hidden beneath the retreat’s seductive façade. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 15 May 2026