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
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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
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of unsettling
Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 18 Feb. 2025
As usual with the director’s work, a full-bodied, mood-shifting score by his younger brother Jed Kurzel is a major contribution, particularly unsettling in its use of dissonance in the Thai scenes.
—David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 Feb. 2025
Goggins admits to finding that forced intimacy slightly unsettling.
—Charlie Campbell / Koh Samui, TIME, 14 Feb. 2025
The whole thing wasn’t so much petrifying as insidiously unsettling, and all of that started with the figure of Nosferatu himself.
—Jim Shepard, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for unsettling
Adjective
The result is a season that’s ludicrous in plot yet freshly unsettling in its portrayal of how people can become resigned to their fate.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for unsettling
Adjective
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Warning: The following story elements, including photos and video, may be disturbing to some readers.—
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The feature take is set amidst the 4th of July celebration, as a disturbing figure named Tommy Taffy emerges.—
Adjective
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Bochner began working in the wake of Abstract Expressionism, whose emphasis on artistic genius, painterly excellence, and formalism left many of his generation feeling uneasy.—
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This has posed a problem for the Kremlin, which does not want to be seen clamping down on those who are essentially patriots but may be uneasy with warts-and-all accounts of Russian battlefield setbacks.—
Adjective
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At least as troubling is that Bove ordered the dismissal of charges against Adams without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled at a later date.—
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And there was another troubling dynamic among Justine, Danny and Brandon.—
Adjective
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The game got tense in the third with the Spartans holding a 21-point lead.—
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But just as life should be settling down, the world around them is growing more tense.—
Verb
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This is a clever way to offer a dual-screen experience without the flaws inherent to current dual-screen laptops, including distracting hinges and designs with questionable durability.—
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In a car, this could be used to hide distracting entertainment displays from the driver while passengers are able to see information such as music playlists or calendar alerts, for example.—
Adjective
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What ensues is an incredibly artful dance between frightening violence and slapstick humor that reveals both Ani’s inner steel and Igor’s integrity—two strong hooks into the film as a whole.—
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For someone living in that position, life can be frightening and overwhelming.—
Adjective
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Socially anxious and snobby, Victoria is dedicated to keeping her three children on the same affluent life path she's followed.—
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Bowen Yang and Andy Samberg’s ’80s-pop-style music video about how everyone who has ever worked on SNL has been an anxious mess was an instant classic.—
Verb
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Overweight and obesity need to be treated safely and effectively to avoid that worrying forecast.—
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Bitcoin has dropping back from its all-time high of over $100,000 in the last week as BlackRock quietly confirmed a worrying bitcoin bombshell.—
Cite this Entry
“Unsettling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unsettling. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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