- present participle of disconcert.
disconcerting
Americanadjective
-
disturbing to one's composure or self-possession; upsetting, discomfiting.
-
confusing, usually in the face of something totally unexpected; perplexing.
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disconcerting
Compare meaning
How does disconcerting compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Something is disconcerting if it makes you uneasy or unsettles you. Even if you don't give your little brother's dreams of conquering the world and enslaving humanity much chance of success, you may find them disconcerting. Think of a concert as something that is organized and runs smoothly. Anything that interrupts that organization and causes concern is disconcerting. The fact that your band ends each rehearsal with a screaming match is disconcerting, unless they are a punk band. Your disconcerting habit of laughing hysterically during job interviews? That may prevent you from gaining employment.
Vocabulary lists containing disconcerting
The Great Gatsby
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Grade 9, List 3
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1984
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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.
But they did have one potentially innovative and surprising, if disconcerting, solution to our national public health information crisis: A.I. has the potential to help stave off a conspiratorial catastrophe during the next pandemic.
From Slate ● Aug. 26, 2026
Med Trimdal, a retired electrical engineer in Las Vegas who tried a Zoox taxi in June, said he found the lack of a driver disconcerting.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
There’s also a malevolent private eye played by Raymond Burr in the disconcerting role that made him a star.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
They describe working with Lithgow in glowing terms to Out Magazine while admitting they found his decision to participate in the “Harry Potter” series disconcerting and vaguely hurtful.
From Salon ● Apr. 2, 2026
She was of a much higher rank than Baruch or Balthamos, and visible by a shimmering, disconcerting light that seemed to come from somewhere else.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
