unnerving

[ uhn-nur-ving ]

adjective

1. depriving a person of courage, strength, determination, or confidence; disconcerting:

   There's nothing easy about job hunting, but if asked to pinpoint the most unnerving part of the process, many would say it's interviewing.

Other Words From

• un·nerv·ing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of unnerving¹

unnerv(e) ( def ) + -ing ²( def )

Example Sentences

The electric pulse guns have lots of tiny needles and are unnerving to behold.

From Time

While the move befitted Netflix’s “earn your place each year” corporate ethos, it has unnerved employees within its original programming division and been followed by three more content executives leaving the company.

From Digiday

So much of what is considered “romantic” is actually inappropriate, pressuring, or unnerving.

From The Daily Beast

Through it all, Chris Hughes nodded approvingly, an unnerving grin on his face.

From The Daily Beast

The Daily Mail reports that Mr Anderson Wheeler, 34, said: “I found it very harassing and unnerving.”

From The Daily Beast

Hearing the names of places students frequent on the national news has been unnerving, students told The Daily Beast.

From The Daily Beast

The result is an intimate and unnerving dive into their relationship narrated by the two subjects.

From The Daily Beast

I think there can be nothing else in life quite like the unnerving realisation that rumour and scandal are afoot about one.

From Project Gutenberg

But when Bart looked in the mirror he felt no unexpected shock, only an unnerving revulsion.

From Project Gutenberg

The darkness was intense, the narrow passage draughty, and the column thrilled and quivered in an unnerving manner.

From Project Gutenberg

His eyes, frowning beneath wrinkled brows, seemed to ask if he were not the victim of some unnerving hallucination.

From Project Gutenberg

They were dark and beautifully shaped and made an almost unnerving contrast with her corn-coloured hair.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• abhorrent
• appalling
• atrocious
• awesome
• awful
• dangerous
• dire
• disastrous
• disturbing
• dreadful
• frightful
• ghastly
• gruesome
• harrowing
• hideous
• horrendous
• horrid
• horrifying
• serious
• severe