unsettling

adjective

un·​set·​tling
ˌən-ˈset-liŋ
-ˈse-tᵊl-iŋ How to pronounce unsettling (audio)
Synonyms of unsettlingnext
: having the effect of upsetting, disturbing, or discomposing
unsettling images of the war
unsettlingly
ˌən-ˈset-liŋ-lē
-ˈse-tᵊl-iŋ- How to pronounce unsettling (audio)
adverb

Examples of unsettling in a Sentence

unsettling new developments in the effort to bring peace and stability to that region had the unsettling task of picking out a coffin and making the other funeral arrangements for his father
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman was—like David Lynch’s Twin Peaks, one of its tonal descendants—unsettling, both homage to and pastiche of the soap opera. Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 The resulting image, an unsettling but magnetic composite portrait that folds together the faces of Jagger, Keith Richards, and Ronnie Wood, now sits at the center of the Stones’ global rollout for the record. Daniel Cassady, ARTnews.com, 18 May 2026 And while tossing and turning is common, some disturbances are more unsettling. Daryl Austin, USA Today, 17 May 2026 And the score by Michael Abels (who collaborated with Jordan Peele on Get Out and Nope) is an all-timer, unsettling and steeped in dread to start and then frenetically nerve-shredding as things get hairier. David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 17 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for unsettling

Word History

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unsettling was in 1665

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Cite this Entry

“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unsettling. Accessed 20 May. 2026.

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