unnerving 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of unnervingnext
as in disturbing
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings the unnerving news of yet another murder

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

unnerving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of unnerve
1
as in paralyzing
to deprive of courage or confidence the riding accident so unnerved me that for a while I was afraid to get back on a horse

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in discouraging
to lessen the courage or confidence of a figure skater can't afford to be unnerved by an occasional slipup

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unnerving
  1. disturbing
  2. paralyzing
  3. discouraging
  4. uneasy
  5. unsettling
  6. tense
  7. intimidating
  8. anxious
Adjective
  • Duchamp spent the last twenty years of his life working in secret on a three-dimensional tableau vivant of a naked, headless female body in a realistic landscape, a strangely disturbing image that is both a summary of his meta-retinal art and a total departure from it.
    Calvin Tomkins, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
  • One of the more disturbing results was from the dinner party at the Brooklyn apartment of my ProPublica colleague.
    Topher Sanders, ProPublica, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of disturbing
Verb
  • Already this year, corporate giants like AT&T, Ticketmaster and United Health have suffered paralyzing cyberattacks, and now, businesses are bracing for the holidays, a time when many cybersecurity operations rely on skeleton staffing.
    Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 22 Nov. 2024
  • The anxiety of overloading your skin with products can be paralyzing.
    Celeste Polanco, Essence, 22 Nov. 2024
Definition of paralyzing
Verb
  • This dual approach—discouraging harmful choices while promoting affordable, nutritious alternatives—has the potential to reshape America’s food environment and improve public health for generations to come.
    Robert Pearl, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
  • Rejections can be discouraging, but a positive mindset is key to staying resilient in your job search.
    Dr. Cynthia J. Young, Forbes, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of discouraging
Adjective
  • There’s no shortage of movies that have looked at Dylan’s music and his uneasy relationship to fame.
    David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Dec. 2024
  • For history buffs, a deep dive into a pivotal period of Japanese history and the uneasy relationship between East and West.
    Judy Berman, TIME, 3 Dec. 2024
Definition of uneasy
Adjective
  • And Robert Zemeckis' 2009 take featuring Jim Carrey is noteworthy for a few reasons: Not only are the ghosts downright terrifying, but the animation style is also unsettling, and may scare you for all the wrong reasons.
    Huntley Woods, EW.com, 19 Dec. 2024
  • In addition to this unsettling experience, Robbins shared with Newsweek a moment of unexpected kindness during her return flight.
    Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024
Definition of unsettling
Adjective
  • Translating through an interpreter that everyone can see adds a human touch to the conversation, which is helpful in tense situations, such as when speaking with an anxious client or patient.
    Molly Peck, USA TODAY, 12 Dec. 2024
  • Better Workplaces: How to Foster Inclusion and Civility | A Newsweek Horizons Event Promo By Lauren Giella National Reporter 1 In the weeks after the 2024 presidential election, companies across the U.S. are dealing with an uptick in tense political discourse in the workplace.
    Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 12 Dec. 2024
Definition of tense
Verb
  • But what’s really intimidating is looking at his size-21 shoes.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 8 Dec. 2024
  • Sitting outside my baby boy's house intimidating them.
    Christina Dugan Ramirez, Fox News, 7 Dec. 2024
Definition of intimidating
Adjective
  • Farmers are anxious about the loss of farmland, and the Manx National Farmers’ Union has opposed plans elsewhere to convert agricultural land to rainforest.
    Christine Ro, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024
  • This promise has left people in the area anxious about the deep impact new workplace raids could have on the community's psyche and the economy.
    Sergio Martínez-Beltrán, NPR, 9 Dec. 2024
Definition of anxious
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.

Thesaurus Entries Near unnerving

unnerves

unnerving

unneurotic

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Unnerving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unnerving. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on unnerving

Nglish: Translation of unnerving for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

Point of View: It's Personal

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Words You Always Have to Look Up
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
naughty or nice
Are you naughty or nice? Quiz He's making a quiz, and checking it twice...