disquiet
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
adjective
noun
verb
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disquiet
First recorded in 1520–30; dis- 1 + quiet in the sense “freedom from disturbance or tumult”
Explanation
If you feel a sense of disquiet, you're worried or anxious about something. Disquiet at the dinner table means that everyone feels upset or on edge. You can use the word disquiet as a noun or a verb. A feeling of disquiet might fill you as you walk slowly through a truly spooky haunted house. You can also say that a low, frightening sound coming from the room ahead disquiets you. The word dates from the 1500s, a combination of dis, "lack of" or "not" in Latin, and quiet, from the Latin root quietus, "calm, at rest, or free from exertion."
Vocabulary lists containing disquiet
A Thousand Splendid Suns
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Don't Panic! Synonyms for "Stress"
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The Picture of Dorian Gray
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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.
There is also disquiet that his eldest son – a businessman – is on the ballot for a senior party position for the first time.
From BBC • May 15, 2026
But to outside observers and former military officials, they signal “a troubling disquiet within the ranks.”
From Salon • May 3, 2026
The report had caused disquiet in South Korea, where the system is a pillar of national defense against nuclear-armed North Korea.
From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026
Cumming hinted at ongoing global disquiet without going too far or getting too pointed.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026
But his inability to see it was not the cause of the deep disquiet within him.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
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.
