unsettle

verb

un·​set·​tle ˌən-ˈse-tᵊl 

unsettled; unsettling; unsettles

transitive verb

1

: to loosen or move from a settled state or condition : make unstable : disorder

2

: to perturb or agitate mentally or emotionally : discompose

intransitive verb

: to become unsettled

Synonyms

• agitate
• ail
• alarm
• alarum
• bother
• concern
• derail
• discomfort
• discompose
• dismay
• disquiet
• distemper
• distract
• distress
• disturb
• exercise
• flurry
• frazzle
• freak (out)
• fuss
• hagride
• perturb
• undo
• unhinge
• upset
• weird out
• worry

Examples of unsettle in a Sentence

Such a sudden change will unsettle her.

the news that the local grocery store had sold contaminated produce unsettled many shoppers

Recent Examples on the Web

Also unsettled is the question of whether the trial will be conducted before a jury or whether it should be left to the judge to make the ruling based on the evidence presented. —John C. Moritz, Austin American-Statesman, 22 Nov. 2024

Sweetin was also unsettled by Saget, Coulier and Stamos’s elderly characters ogling the adult Kimmy. —John Russell, People.com, 5 Nov. 2024

Trump unsettled Taiwan by suggesting the country pay the U.S. for its defense and more recently accusing the island of stealing the U.S. semiconductor chip industry. —David Brennan, ABC News, 3 Nov. 2024

That’s because few things cause more inner turmoil on a sustained basis than being unsettled about work. —Amy Lindgren, Twin Cities, 2 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

unsettle

verb

un·​set·​tle ˌən-ˈset-ᵊl 

ˈən-

1

: to move or loosen from a settled state

2

: to make uneasy

change unsettles him