as in disturbing
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
the unnerving news of yet another murder
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in paralyzing
to deprive of courage or confidence
the riding accident so unnerved me that for a while I was afraid to get back on a horse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discouraging
to lessen the courage or confidence of
a figure skater can't afford to be unnerved by an occasional slipup
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 unnerving
Jim Cramer, CNBC, 29 Mar. 2026
But in an unnerving testament to AI’s growing pervasiveness, and unchecked acceptance, that feeling wasn’t universal.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
But the possibility of leaving northeast Lake County — Beach Park, North Chicago, Park City, Wadsworth, Waukegan, Winthrop Harbor, and Zion — without a close-in medical center is too unnerving to consider.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
What could have been just a mimicry of, say, Edward Norton in American History X becomes something distinctly pitiable and unnerving on its own terms, and Gosling chased the heights of this tormented-20-something performance for a long time, up until the next film on our list.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
But nothing is more unnerving than getting the notification, sprinting to the door, and finding an empty porch staring back at you.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
What happens is unnerving, at which point the film passes through a looking glass of fear.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
The Saviors pitches its tone somewhere between horror, thriller and comedy, and there are elements of all of those in the slightly unnerving sense that Kim and Sean almost seem to need Amir and Jahan to be up to no good.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
More unnerving, though, were similar comments from cooks and fans who haven’t achieved the same levels of fame and success.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, is sparking concerns about tightening energy supplies -- unnerving the world economy.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, is sparking concerns about tightening energy supplies — unnerving the world economy.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, have given rise to increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.
—Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
The feature debut from writer-director Graham Parkes is also one of three films at the fest to feature comedy star Kate Berlant, here in a double role as unnerving twin couples-therapy influencers.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
There’s something unnerving about the mundane thwack of the rhythms.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2026
Most pages exude that unnerving queasiness which results from seeing a worrying lack of paragraph breaks in the foreseeable near future.
—Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
The videos shared by robot builder and researcher Logan Olson from October show the training exercise that enables a humanoid unit to suddenly drop to all fours and crawl at an unnerving speed and with unnerving flexibility.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Dec. 2025
Adjective
Plus, the fluidity of the situation is completely unnerving.
—Jim Cramer, CNBC, 29 Mar. 2026
But in an unnerving testament to AI’s growing pervasiveness, and unchecked acceptance, that feeling wasn’t universal.
—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 25 Mar. 2026
But the possibility of leaving northeast Lake County — Beach Park, North Chicago, Park City, Wadsworth, Waukegan, Winthrop Harbor, and Zion — without a close-in medical center is too unnerving to consider.
—Charles Selle, Chicago Tribune, 23 Mar. 2026
What could have been just a mimicry of, say, Edward Norton in American History X becomes something distinctly pitiable and unnerving on its own terms, and Gosling chased the heights of this tormented-20-something performance for a long time, up until the next film on our list.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 20 Mar. 2026
But nothing is more unnerving than getting the notification, sprinting to the door, and finding an empty porch staring back at you.
—Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 18 Mar. 2026
What happens is unnerving, at which point the film passes through a looking glass of fear.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 17 Mar. 2026
The Saviors pitches its tone somewhere between horror, thriller and comedy, and there are elements of all of those in the slightly unnerving sense that Kim and Sean almost seem to need Amir and Jahan to be up to no good.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 16 Mar. 2026
More unnerving, though, were similar comments from cooks and fans who haven’t achieved the same levels of fame and success.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
The White House is attempting to manage a large-scale military confrontation with an undefined exit strategy—a confrontation that is unnerving markets.
—Vivian Salama, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026
Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, is sparking concerns about tightening energy supplies -- unnerving the world economy.
—Arkansas Online, 18 Mar. 2026
Iran’s grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, is sparking concerns about tightening energy supplies — unnerving the world economy.
—Jon Gambrell, Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, have given rise to increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.
—Dallas Morning News, 17 Mar. 2026
The feature debut from writer-director Graham Parkes is also one of three films at the fest to feature comedy star Kate Berlant, here in a double role as unnerving twin couples-therapy influencers.
—Los Angeles Times, 12 Mar. 2026
There’s something unnerving about the mundane thwack of the rhythms.
—Andrew Ryce, Pitchfork, 27 Feb. 2026
Most pages exude that unnerving queasiness which results from seeing a worrying lack of paragraph breaks in the foreseeable near future.
—Literary Hub, 5 Feb. 2026
The videos shared by robot builder and researcher Logan Olson from October show the training exercise that enables a humanoid unit to suddenly drop to all fours and crawl at an unnerving speed and with unnerving flexibility.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 5 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerving
Adjective
-
Most disturbing, the largest net loss of IRS filers continues to be among young adults.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
29 Mar. 2026
-
So, yes, Reingold’s story identified some disturbing failures.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
At age 14, Arias was caught in the crossfire of a shootout between rival gangs, paralyzing him from the waist down.—
Kayla Hayempour,
NBC news,
8 Mar. 2026
-
In a region where weather swings from paralyzing ice storms to scorching summers, these elements carry weight.—
Mary Grace Granados
Special Contributor,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These interconnected policies demonstrate an intentional effort to reshape the American electorate by discouraging nonwhite immigration and citizenship.—
Carlos De Loera,
Los Angeles Times,
27 Mar. 2026
-
Red flags worth walking away from include dismissing symptoms without investigation, attributing everything to stress or anxiety, discouraging second opinions and making patients feel rushed.—
Allison Palmer,
Miami Herald,
26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
That neighbor also raised concerns about security, saying fewer on-site resources and changes in how calls are handled have left some people feeling uneasy.—
Daniel Wilkerson,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
As the war in Iran stretches into a fifth week, investors who had been hopeful for a quick resolution are growing increasingly uneasy about the real-world fallout from the conflict.—
Tanaya Macheel,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Clumsiness notwithstanding, bringing a criminal case against a journalist who was reporting on a protest is an authoritarian tactic—a means of frightening the press away from uncovering the truth.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
30 Jan. 2026
-
But monks there complained that the slain king was walking around at night, frightening them with strange sounds.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
7 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Mack and the Chargers’ defense pressured quarterbacks Jalen Hurts of the Eagles and Patrick Mahomes of the Chiefs, frustrating them and keeping them out of their comfort zones.—
Elliott Teaford,
Oc Register,
20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The wild swings in temperatures can be unsettling for people, Francis and others said, and also reflect the realities of a warming climate.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Though Lomeli denied both her 2021 and 2026 petitions, she is allowed to continue filing similar requests in the future, a notion that is deeply unsettling for Gabriel’s relatives.—
Clara Harter,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The air in the room changed immediately, terrifying little Liza.—
Elisabeth Garber-Paul,
Rolling Stone,
14 Mar. 2026
-
Pic was written and directed by horror filmmaker Ian Tuason, and follows the host (Nina Kiri) of a popular paranormal podcast who becomes haunted by terrifying recordings mysteriously sent her way.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Unnerving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerving. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
