unsettled
Americanadjective
-
not settled; not fixed or stable; without established order; unorganized; disorganized.
an unsettled social order; still unsettled in their new home.
- Antonyms:
- stable
-
continuously moving or changing; not situated in one place.
an unsettled life.
-
wavering or uncertain, as in opinions or behavior; unstable; erratic.
an unsettled state of mind.
- Antonyms:
- stable
-
not populated or settled, as a region.
an unsettled wilderness.
-
undetermined, as a point at issue; undecided; doubtful.
After many years the matter was still unsettled.
- Synonyms:
- unsure, indeterminate
-
not adjusted, closed, or disposed of, as an account, estate, or law case.
-
liable to change; inconstant; variable.
unsettled weather.
- Synonyms:
- irresolute, fickle, vacillating
adjective
-
lacking order or stability
an unsettled era
-
unpredictable; uncertain
an unsettled climate
-
constantly changing or moving from place to place
an unsettled life
-
(of controversy, etc) not brought to an agreed conclusion
-
(of debts, law cases, etc) not disposed of
-
(of regions, etc) devoid of settlers
Usage
What does unsettled mean? Something that is unsettled is not stable or is unorganized, as in While the contractor works on the kitchen, all of our kitchen things are unsettled.Unsettled is most often used figuratively to mean undecided, unadjusted, or wavering. Someone who is unsettled is normally disturbed by some type of imagery or by a decision they have made. They may be unable to focus or have a lot of different emotions—they feel unsettled.Literally, something that is unsettled is off balance, moving constantly, or unstable. A building slowly sliding down a hill is an example of a structure that has become unsettled. Unsettled can apply to anything that moves, such as animals, vehicles, or even rainclouds. When you say movement is unsettled, you’re saying the movement is erratic.Unsettled land is land where no one or very few people live. Example: That scary movie made me so unsettled that I couldn’t sleep for a week.
Related Words
Unsettled, unstable, unsteady imply a lack of fixity, firmness, and dependability. That which is unsettled is not fixed or determined: unsettled weather; unsettled claims. That which is unstable is wavering, changeable; easily moved, shaken, or overthrown: unstable equilibrium; an unstable decision. That which is unsteady is infirm or shaky in position or movement: unsteady on one's feet; unsteady of purpose.
Other Word Forms
- unsettledness noun
Etymology
Origin of unsettled
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.
That prospect has unsettled California billionaires, in part because it would apply to those who were residents as of Jan. 1.
Gold soared past $4,700 a troy ounce for the first time as investors continued to scramble for safe-havens, though the dollar—traditionally a home for unsettled investors—fell.
In my mid-twenties, during my first week at a new remote job, I felt both giddy and strangely unmoored — delighted to have shed my commute, unsettled by the sudden absence of physical colleagues.
From Salon
McCaul said the rhetoric alone has unsettled partners and emphasized that Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark, is already covered under NATO’s mutual defense framework.
From Salon
On one hand an Atlantic low pressure system will repeatedly attempt to move in from the west, bringing relatively mild, moist air and unsettled conditions.
From BBC
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.
