Synonyms

unhinge

American

[uhn-hinj] / ʌnˈhɪndʒ /

verb (used with object)

to remove (a door or the like) from hinges.
to open wide by or as if by removing supporting hinges.

to unhinge one's jaws.
to upset; unbalance; disorient; throw into confusion or turmoil.

to unhinge the mind.
to dislocate or disrupt the normal operation of; unsettle.

to unhinge plans.
to detach or separate from something.
to cause to waver or vacillate.

to unhinge supporters of conservative policies.

unhinge British

/ ʌnˈhɪndʒ /

verb

to remove (a door, gate, etc) from its hinges
to derange or unbalance (a person, his mind, etc)
to disrupt or unsettle (a process or state of affairs)
(usually foll by from) to detach or dislodge

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

unhingement

noun

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of unhinge

First recorded in 1605–15; un- ² + hinge

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Unhinge the lower jaw, and the side view of this skull is as the side of a moderately inclined plane resting throughout on a level base.

From Moby Dick, or, the whale by Melville, Herman

Unhinge, un-hinj′, v.t. to take from the hinges: to render unstable, to unsettle: to deprive of support.—n.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 4 of 4: S-Z and supplements) by Various

Unhinge the lower jaw, and the side view of this skull is as the side view of a moderately inclined plane resting throughout on a level base.

From Moby Dick: or, the White Whale by Melville, Herman

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023