unhinge

American  

[uhn-hinj] / ʌnˈhɪndʒ /

verb (used with object)

unhinged, unhinging

1. to remove (a door or the like) from hinges.

2. to open wide by or as if by removing supporting hinges.

   to unhinge one's jaws.

3. to upset; unbalance; disorient; throw into confusion or turmoil.

   to unhinge the mind.

4. to dislocate or disrupt the normal operation of; unsettle.

   to unhinge plans.

5. to detach or separate from something.

6. to cause to waver or vacillate.

   to unhinge supporters of conservative policies.

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unhinge British  

/ ʌnˈhɪndʒ /

verb

1. to remove (a door, gate, etc) from its hinges

2. to derange or unbalance (a person, his mind, etc)

3. to disrupt or unsettle (a process or state of affairs)

4. (usually foll by from) to detach or dislodge

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Other Word Forms

• unhingement noun

Etymology

Origin of unhinge

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

Example Sentences

“This guy is not mad, he’s very intentional, but he’s unmoored and he’s unhinged,” Newsom said.

From The Wall Street Journal

It requires little effort to arrange the group’s most unhinged statements into a cornucopia of lunacy, surpassed in recent memory only by the tinfoil conspiracism of QAnon.

From Salon

When I heard that name, my jaw came unhinged, hanging open like a broken dresser drawer.

From Literature

He exudes an Austin Powers–esque aura that can feel delightfully unhinged.

From Salon

“The rally feels somewhat unhinged, likely surprising even the most bullish market participants with the speed and magnitude of the move,” Joni Teves, strategist at UBS told clients in a note on Wednesday.

From MarketWatch

Related Words

• fluster
• unbalance