upsetting

adjective

up·​set·​ting (ˌ)əp-ˈse-tiŋ 

: mentally or emotionally troubling or disturbing : causing feelings of worry or anxiety

heard some upsetting news

an upsetting experience

We're up to [a deficit of] $1.5 trillion a year …. These numbers are truly upsetting.

—Bill Gates

Professors issue, or students demand, trigger warnings when presenting material that might be upsetting to some: depictions of rape, sexism, racism, suicide.

—Yvonne Abraham

upsettingly adverb

an upsettingly graphic depiction of violence

In comparison to male historical figures, the number of women that we learn about throughout school is upsettingly low.

—Alexis Gardner

Synonyms

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

Examples of upsetting in a Sentence

the constant arguing is upsetting to a sensitive person like your grandmother

Recent Examples on the Web

Many of them are undoubtedly games when the underdog pulled off the stunning upset – UMBC beating Virginia in 2018; George Mason’s unbelievable Final Four run in 2006; Valparaiso’s 1998 win over Ole Miss; Princeton upsetting UCLA in 1996, etc. —Alex Sherman, CNBC, 3 Apr. 2025

There are no perfect victims, and inappropriate behavior, especially in the workplace, can be complicated and deeply upsetting. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025

Warning: The image below shows injuries to Dante that some readers may find upsetting. —Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2025

The couple called it quits after Fox allegedly discovered upsetting content on Kelly’s phone. —David Matthews, New York Daily News, 27 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1872, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for upsetting

• abetting
• begetting
• besetting
• bloodletting
• briquetting
• forgetting
• offsetting
• pipetting
• regretting
• resetting
• subletting
• typesetting