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disquiet

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disquiet contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of disquiet are agitate, discompose, disturb, fluster, perturb, and upset. While all these words mean "to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action," disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

In what contexts can agitate take the place of disquiet?

While the synonyms agitate and disquiet are close in meaning, agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

When might discompose be a better fit than disquiet?

Although the words discompose and disquiet have much in common, discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

When is disturb a more appropriate choice than disquiet?

The words disturb and disquiet can be used in similar contexts, but disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

Where would fluster be a reasonable alternative to disquiet?

The meanings of fluster and disquiet largely overlap; however, fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

When could perturb be used to replace disquiet?

The synonyms perturb and disquiet are sometimes interchangeable, but perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

When can upset be used instead of disquiet?

The words upset and disquiet are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disquiet
Noun
And yet there have been signs of disquiet in the Python kingdom. Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2024 Those were healing gestures at a time of deep disquiet. Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2024
Verb
His Blackness disquieted the American ideals and sensibilities that proclaim us all equal. Kathleen Newman-Bremang, refinery29.com, 26 May 2023 There are many conservatives, in politics and the media, who are disquieted about what DeSantis has done, vis-à-vis Disney. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 8 May 2023 See all Example Sentences for disquiet 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disquiet
Noun
  • Her testimony provided fresh insight into her views on presidential power and the Education Department's role in overseeing K-12 schools and colleges, and her take on the ongoing turmoil at the agency she is expected to manage.
    Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2025
  • The consumer bureau has been in turmoil for days after Russell Vought, installed Friday by Mr. Trump as the agency’s acting director, ordered a halt to all of its operations.
    Stacy Cowley, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Following a similar antisemitic rant in 2022, which raised concerns for West’s mental wellbeing, the artist released an apology in Hebrew the next year.
    Glenn Garner, Deadline, 9 Feb. 2025
  • The push for tariffs may be impacting public concern about prices.
    Anthony Salvanto, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The intrigue: The freezing of federal funds and a takeover of the federal payments system and classified information by Elon Musk, an unelected ally of Trump, alarms the Jewish groups.
    Russell Contreras, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025
  • Stevens, a former Treasury Department appointee under former President Barack Obama, said Americans should be alarmed by Musk and DOGE infiltrating federal agencies.
    Arthur Jones II, ABC News, 6 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Signs of unrest at Mount Spurr -- located in the Aleutian Arc in southern Alaska about 75 miles west of Anchorage -- have increased over the past 10 months, according to volcanologists at the U.S. Geological Survey.
    Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 14 Feb. 2025
  • Shah’s abdication led to the 1979 revolution The Islamic Revolution began with widespread unrest in Iran over the rule of the shah who, terminally and secretly ill with cancer, fled Iran in January 1979.
    Nasser Karimi, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Volodymyr Zelensky spoke in a week when a phone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US counterpart Donald Trump raised fears in Kyiv that it was being frozen out of negotiations, with the White House also downplaying the prospects of Ukraine joining NATO.
    Caitlin Danaher, CNN, 15 Feb. 2025
  • But fear of ice-cold takes never stopped us before.
    Jeff Gluck, The Athletic, 15 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Economists have warned that a wide-scale trade war could significantly raise prices, and consumers appear to be worried as well.
    Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 11 Feb. 2025
  • News outlets whose owners worry about lawsuits or government harassment rein in their investigative teams and their most aggressive reporters.
    STEVEN LEVITSKY, Foreign Affairs, 11 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • The order sparked unease across the bureau as staff began to fear for their jobs, and concerns about the list becoming public have since become the subject of a lawsuit between FBI agents and the DOJ.
    Ashley Oliver, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 8 Feb. 2025
  • Oakland political consultant Annie Eagan said the outstanding bill owed to her firm has become a source of growing unease.
    Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 6 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Yes, but: Heightened anxiety amid the administration's immigration crackdown has triggered dips in school attendance nationwide.
    Alex Golden, Axios, 11 Feb. 2025
  • The headline result here is pretty clear: people who are more physically active are less likely to suffer from depression and anxiety now and in the future.
    Alex Hutchinson, Outside Online, 9 Feb. 2025

Thesaurus Entries Near disquiet

Cite this Entry

“Disquiet.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disquiet. Accessed 22 Feb. 2025.

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