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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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 unsettling
Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2025
The line was delivered by Kate Burton, reprising her role as the late Ellis Grey who appeared to Meredith in an unsettling dream.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
One of my clients, a senior executive in a major technology company, shared how the organization's shifting priorities were unsettling the team.
—Gamze Acar Bayraktaroglu, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Adjective
Not to mention the unsettling score by Atticus Derrickson, his son, that will do nothing to lower your blood pressure.
—Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 16 Oct. 2025
The line was delivered by Kate Burton, reprising her role as the late Ellis Grey who appeared to Meredith in an unsettling dream.
—Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 16 Oct. 2025
Verb
In doing so, Piccioli subtly weaves in his own creative quirks, while winking (from behind dark glasses) at his predecessor — a way of not entirely unsettling the clientele won over during the previous decade.
—Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2025
One of my clients, a senior executive in a major technology company, shared how the organization's shifting priorities were unsettling the team.
—Gamze Acar Bayraktaroglu, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettling
Adjective
-
The Wicker Man boasts a conclusion that is one of the most haunting and disturbing climaxes to a horror film in any era, but the inclusion of Lee as the wicked Lord Summerisle is a casting coup.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
19 Oct. 2025
-
What started as a search for wrapping paper led to a disturbing discovery that left her questioning her relationship with her mother.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Lawler, the best known of the young actors thanks to her breakout work in Station Eleven, brings welcome awkward humor, while Stack, with the series’ most complex character, conveys an uneasy grasp on sanity that the rest of the show isn’t really prepared to deal with.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
-
BofA also points to a record 54% of investors who now believe that AI stocks are in a bubble, according to its most recent Global Fund Manager Survey—another reason for heightened vigilance around the market’s uneasy exuberance.—
Nick Lichtenberg,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Browning has thrown eight interceptions in four starts, which was alarming enough for the Bengals to make a move.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
-
But also alarming is that government officials don’t seem to take seriously the need to justify the reasons for their use of force, which should only be wielded to protect the rights of Americans.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
22 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The loss of Nick Bosa (ACL tear) in Week 3 was already troubling for the defense, but Fred Warner's likely season-ending ankle injury in Week 6 was a serious blow for San Francisco.—
Jordan Sigler,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
-
His failures with a clean pocket on Friday were troubling.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
The behind-the-scenes drama of this comedy-horror film sounds a lot more stressful and tense than anything in the film (multiple actors hated the material, played hooky from set, and disavowed the final product).—
Rory Doherty,
Vulture,
20 Oct. 2025
-
But a lot was riding on the success of Back to the Future for Fox, who was caught in the middle of the tense confrontation.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
In Season 4, Eddie played a key role in distracting Vecna’s (Jamie Campbell Bower) Demobats as the rest of the gang launched an attack on the Upside Down stronghold of Creel House.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
-
Because many designs in the 1970s focused on open-concept designs, noise in the previous building could be distracting for classes, and teachers had made makeshift walls using bookshelves in an attempt to keep noise out, Bookhout said.—
Imani Cruzen,
Twin Cities,
19 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Even more frightening for journalists is the idea that generations are growing up without the habit of following news, particularly for their own communities.—
David Bauder,
Fortune,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Witch-burning, frightening folklore, and centuries of war and bloodshed have imparted an unsettling ambience in destinations like Edinburgh.—
Nicole Kliest,
Vogue,
18 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Hailey, usually the more anxious one, was struck when her typically calm husband brought it up first.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
19 Oct. 2025
-
Volunteers became depressed, irritable, anxious, and withdrawn.—
Clayton Dalton,
New Yorker,
18 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettling. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share