unnerve

verb

un·​nerve ˌən-ˈnərv 

unnerved; unnerving; unnerves

transitive verb

1

: to deprive of courage, strength, or steadiness

2

: to cause to become nervous : upset

unnervingly

ˌən-ˈnər-viŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms

• demoralize
• emasculate
• paralyze
• undo
• unman
• unstring

Choose the Right Synonym for unnerve

unnerve, enervate, unman, emasculate mean to deprive of strength or vigor and the capacity for effective action.

unnerve implies marked often temporary loss of courage, self-control, or power to act.

unnerved by the near collision

enervate suggests a gradual physical or moral weakening (as through luxury or indolence) until one is too feeble to make an effort.

a nation's youth enervated by affluence and leisure

unman implies a loss of manly vigor, fortitude, or spirit.

a soldier unmanned by the terrors of battle

emasculate stresses a depriving of characteristic force by removing something essential.

an amendment that emasculates existing safeguards

Examples of unnerve in a Sentence

Seeing the police in there unnerved me.

She was unnerved by his strange manner.

Recent Examples on the Web

Their unceremonious removal and the arrival of new unknown personnel in leadership has unnerved the employees who remain while at the same time increasing their workload. —Belinda Luscombe, TIME, 1 Feb. 2025

At the same time, a torrent of misinformation on Musk’s platform – plenty of it born from anger over high levels of migration – has unnerved Europe’s governments. —Rob Picheta, CNN, 23 Jan. 2025

The reports of arson and explicit graffiti have unnerved a nation that prides itself on being a multicultural and tolerant society and where a third of the population was born overseas. —Victoria Kim, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2025

That has unnerved some experts, who worry that a decline in birth rates may have more to do with modern lifestyles than concerns about affordability. —Amanda Gerut, Fortune Asia, 12 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

unnerve

verb

un·​nerve ˌən-ˈnərv 

ˈən-

unnerved; unnerving

: to deprive of nerve, courage, or self-control

the accident unnerved me