as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
the constant arguing is upsetting to a sensitive person like your grandmother
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of upsetting
Melissa Willets, Parents, 30 July 2025
In his thorough contempt for every trace of human decency, Hoult rivals the most upsetting versions of the Joker, implacably evil men who tap into prehistoric fears of the predator in the bushes.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 16 July 2025
Allison Morrow, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
Ranked in the preseason Top 25, the Jayhawks limped to a 2-6 start before upsetting 7-1 Iowa State.
—Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for upsetting
Adjective
So many kids under age 13 already have phones, and this study is unlikely to result in parents taking their devices away, no matter how upsetting the findings may be.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 30 July 2025
In his thorough contempt for every trace of human decency, Hoult rivals the most upsetting versions of the Joker, implacably evil men who tap into prehistoric fears of the predator in the bushes.
—Matt Zoller Seitz, Vulture, 16 July 2025
Verb
Failing to do so risks upsetting a leader with a short fuse and the power to sink a company’s stock or ignite a boycott with a single social media post.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
Ranked in the preseason Top 25, the Jayhawks limped to a 2-6 start before upsetting 7-1 Iowa State.
—Stewart Mandel, The Athletic, 24 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for upsetting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upsetting
Adjective
-
As a mother of two boys in public schools and the product of public schools myself, this news was disturbing to say the least.—
Andrea Campbell,
Time,
6 Aug. 2025
-
Her dad, Taylor finds her art to be disturbing, but nonetheless harmless.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
6 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Robertson had a good sequence throwing a big hit on Gage Goncalves and disrupting his shot attempt seconds later.—
Omar White,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2025
-
Artificial intelligence is already disrupting numerous sectors across society.—
Jeff McDonald,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Their story was both deeply familiar and powerfully unsettling.—
Sam Wolson,
New Yorker,
7 Aug. 2025
-
The novel is unsettling but thrilling, and a classic work that has stood the test of time.—
Robert English,
EW.com,
30 July 2025
Verb
-
Occupying and distracting the mind.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
13 Apr. 2025
-
While most of the acting is wonderful (Wyle is predictably great, but so is just about all of the main cast), some patient-of-the-week players err towards distracting histrionics.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That might mean nudging troubling conversations in a different direction or issuing something akin to a warning label.—
Robert Hart,
Time,
5 Aug. 2025
-
More troubling is that more drug dealers are cutting their fentanyl with other substances, which are resistant to Narcan, like the powerful sedative that authorities suspect was used in the free samples given out by a dealer or dealers in Penn North.—
Allan Culver,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Rodin Cars The big idea behind Rodin is to build cars without bothering about vehicle regulations – in stark contrast to F1 cars, which are subject to several rules around how they're put together.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Jan. 2025
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The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
This pre-dates the casual fashions that would take hold during the 1960s, eventually collapsing traditional dressiness by the 1970s, making Sumbariners and GMT Masters the thing to wear.—
Allen Farmelo,
Robb Report,
26 Dec. 2024
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Francis Scott Key Bridge collapse On March 26, a container ship struck the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, collapsing the bridge and killing six construction workers who were filling potholes on the span.—
Emily Shapiro,
ABC News,
26 Dec. 2024
Verb
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But the $12 billion decline in his fortune has more to do with asset shuffling than stock price movement.—
Julie Goldenberg,
Forbes,
21 Dec. 2024
-
James has been shuffling back and forth between the NBA and the G League.—
Benedict Cosgrove,
Newsweek,
19 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Upsetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upsetting. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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