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
- disconcertingly adverb
- disconcertingness noun
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.
We return to the truly disconcerting thing about the AI moment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 14, 2026
It was beyond disconcerting to hear the Iranian foreign minister on Sunday sounding like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky circa 2022.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026
For France's mainstream left, it is all deeply disconcerting.
From BBC • Feb. 20, 2026
Technically, the picture remains disconcerting for CarMax, with shares below downward-sloping moving-day averages.
From Barron's • Oct. 28, 2025
Frodo said nothing: the shrewd guesses of the farmer were rather disconcerting.
From "The Fellowship of the Ring" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
