unbalance

[ uhn-bal-uhns ]
See synonyms for: unbalanceunbalancedunbalancing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),un·bal·anced, un·bal·anc·ing.
  1. to throw or put out of balance.

  2. to disorder or derange, as the mind.

noun
  1. unbalanced condition.

Origin of unbalance

1
First recorded in 1580–90; un-2 + balance

Other words from unbalance

  • un·bal·ance·a·ble, adjective

Words Nearby unbalance

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use unbalance in a sentence

  • In uncommon cases, loud, sudden noise can generate a sense of unbalance, which can translate into the same unsettling physical instability generated by rapid motion.

  • Symptoms should not be mistaken for causes, but pelvic diseases at least aggravate a tendency toward mental unbalance.

  • She had, in her high moments, believed herself an adventuress whose poise and plans nothing could unbalance.

  • The only sensation was unbalance, as if I were walking uphill.

    The Scapegoat | Richard Maples
  • Herein lies the unbalance, the great biological menace to the future of civilization.

    The Pivot of Civilization | Margaret Sanger
  • They had imprisoned the king because he had given many evidences of mental unbalance.

    The Adventures of Kathlyn | Harold MacGrath

British Dictionary definitions for unbalance

unbalance

/ (ʌnˈbæləns) /


verb(tr)
  1. to upset the equilibrium or balance of

  2. to disturb the mental stability of (a person or his mind)

noun
  1. imbalance or instability

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012