upsetting 1 of 2

adjective

(ˌ)əp-ˈse-tiŋ How to pronounce upsetting (audio)
Definition of upsettingnext
as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety the constant arguing is upsetting to a sensitive person like your grandmother

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

upsetting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of upset
1
as in alarming
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy the smallest things can upset us if we're already stressed

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overturning
to turn on one's side or upside down the narrow boat upsets easily and should be handled with care

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disrupting
to undo the proper order or arrangement of the change in the bus schedule upset our daily routine

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 upsetting
Adjective
Boutros did not dispute the allegations, saying the conduct was upsetting and the reason the case was being dismissed. — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 25 Sep. 2026 There’s so much premeditation and passion into doing that, and to actually play that with no music and just the sound and the banality of a lifeless body being hit by some blunt instrument is very viscerally upsetting. — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026
Verb
Not upsetting Beijing Washington is unlikely to raise tensions and upset Beijing ahead of next week's summit, while China is expected to shrug off efforts aimed at curbing oil purchases, according to analysts. — Anniek Bao,priyanka Salve, CNBC, 17 Sep. 2026 The Wolverines can change the narrative by upsetting Oklahoma and avenging a 24-13 loss from last season. — Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for upsetting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upsetting
  1. disturbing
  2. alarming
  3. overturning
  4. disrupting
  5. unsettling
  6. distracting
  7. capsizing
  8. confusing
Adjective
  • For Daughtry, who was dispatched to work the crash by his editor that day, the assignment was one of the most disturbing of his career.
    — Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 21 Oct. 2026
  • This disturbing contradiction suggests that different physical laws apply to the observer and the observed.
    — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Verb
  • But the idea that fine adaptations of great books need to be stopping points, rather than springboards, is alarming by itself.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026
  • There are signs that the President is unravelling, in ways that are different from late-period Joe Biden but are alarming all the same.
    — David Remnick, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of alarming
Verb
  • For instance, the measure would prevent courts from overturning approvals of qualifying projects because of CEQA violations.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Three previous attempts to evict the 87-year-old were denied by the courts, but in March, the Supreme Court ruled against her, overturning a January 2022 decision in her favor.
    — Adam England, PEOPLE, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of overturning
Verb
  • Habits are usually paired with physical or emotional cues, and disrupting those cues can disrupt the habit.
    — Allison Parshall, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Eight years ago, protesters frequently drove coverage in their preferred direction by disrupting candidates (Movimiento Cosecha pushed Biden to endorse a deportation moratorium, for instance) and showing up to press them at Q&As.
    — David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of disrupting
Adjective
  • There’s something so unsettling about a game show where the contestants’ well-being is not considered, and The Tonight Show leaned into that uncanniness to great effect.
    — Bethy Squires, Vulture, 23 Oct. 2026
  • The series explores the unsettling collision of ancient witchcraft beliefs and modern digital dating culture.
    — Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of unsettling
Verb
  • As a result, your mind is always searching for the next project to tackle or problem to solve, distracting you while hanging out with family or keeping you from sleeping.
    — Melody Wilding, Contributor, CNBC, 20 Oct. 2026
  • The compelling series achieves a provocative dissection of it all with rare confidence without the overindulgence of distracting CGI tossed in for sheer spectacle.
    — Jeff Spry, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of distracting
Verb
  • The rip currents and massive surf are capable of capsizing small boats, knocking people off jetties and pulling swimmers out to sea.
    — Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Prosecutors said Hernandez piloted the boat into a swell and had accelerated the throttle to try to pass through it until the swell swamped the bow of the boat, capsizing it immediately, a complaint alleged.
    — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of capsizing
Verb
  • The Justice Department has argued in its suit that the name overlap risks confusing voters.
    — Willem Marx, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Cyan could theoretically fill the visual gap without confusing road users.
    — Andrew J. Hawkins, The Verge, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of confusing

Browse Nearby Words

upsets
upsetting
upshot
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Upsetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upsetting. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of disparate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All