unsettling

adjective

un·​set·​tling

ˌən-ˈset-liŋ,

-ˈse-tᵊl-iŋ 

: having the effect of upsetting, disturbing, or discomposing

unsettling images of the war

unsettlingly

ˌən-ˈset-liŋ-lē

-ˈse-tᵊl-iŋ- 

adverb

Synonyms

• discomforting
• discomposing
• disquieting
• distressing
• disturbing
• nagging
• nasty
• perturbing
• troublesome
• troubling
• troublous
• upsetting
• worrisome

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

The sight of a middle aged woman wearing a purple-and-yellow No. 77 Los Angeles Lakers jersey walking down Sunset Blvd. is still unsettling. —Mac Engel, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Mar. 2025

Most of them went by quickly enough to evade conscious perception, but the overall effect was unsettling. —Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025

Pam Morris, 54, a freelance prop stylist, noticed another unsettling trend a few years ago, when a U.S. client asked her to art-direct a crew in Asia remotely for a shoot. —Steven Kurutz, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

The crashes are part of an unsettling trend in the state. —Sam Gillette, People.com, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1665, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for unsettling

• settling
• resettling