unhinged

[uhn-hinjd]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR unhinged ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

having no hinge or hinges, or with the hinges removed: an unhinged gate.

unsettled, disordered, or distraught: He became unhinged when his friend died.

Origin of unhinged

1710–20; (def 1) un-¹ + hinged; (def 2) unhinge + -ed²

unhinge

[uhn-hinj]

verb (used with object), un·hinged, un·hing·ing.

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

to open wide by or as if by removing supporting hinges: to unhinge one's jaws.

to upset; unbalance; disorient; throw into confusion or turmoil: to unhinge the mind.

to dislocate or disrupt the normal operation of; unsettle: to unhinge plans.

to detach or separate from something.

to cause to waver or vacillate: to unhinge supporters of conservative policies.

Origin of unhinge

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

Related formsun·hinge·ment, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for unhinged

manic, disturbed, deranged, unbalanced, crazed, touched, confused, bananas, batty, berserk, bonkers, crazy, insane, loopy, lunatic, mad, maniac, mental

Examples from the Web for unhinged

Contemporary Examples of unhinged

They were unhinged souls looking for a cause and found it in the belief that hating the government was patriotic.
Hatriot Politics Created the Las Vegas Killers
John Avlon
June 10, 2014
To be fair, Abbott is hardly the only prominent Republican to embrace the unhinged rocker.
GOP’s Wango Tango With Ted Nugent
Michelle Cottle
February 19, 2014
This was Boehner unplugged—possibly Boehner unhinged (unhinged from his talking points, at least).
John Boehner Live and Unhinged with Jay Leno
Lloyd Grove
January 24, 2014
In fact, I had to pass on a nice book deal, good front $$, for Unhinged because they wanted me to write more about Jim (Morrison).
The Doors Never Sold Out to Crass Commercialism
John Densmore
September 27, 2013
What is it about Reza Aslan that has unhinged so many people?
Jesus Needs Reza Aslan, Author of 'Zealot'
Kirsten Powers
August 11, 2013

Historical Examples of unhinged

He unhinged the top half of his face to give me a private view.
Shorty McCabe
Sewell Ford
The whole order of things is unhinged, and we are nearing chaos.
A Literary History of the English People
Jean Jules Jusserand
Sara's mouth had been gradually closing, but it unhinged again.
Sense from Thought Divide
Mark Irvin Clifton
Society is unhinged, and every one is afraid to offer an opinion.
Olla Podrida
Frederick Marryat (AKA Captain Marryat)
He examined the lock of the unhinged door, which had subsided on the floor.
Messengers of Evil
Pierre Souvestre

British Dictionary definitions for unhinged

unhinge

verb (tr)

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

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

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

(usually foll by from) to detach or dislodge

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for unhinged

adj.

"thrown into confusion," 1719, past participle adjective from unhinge.

unhinge

recorded earlier in the mental sense of "to disorder" the mind, etc. (1612) than in the literal one of "to take (a door, etc.) off its hinges" (1616); from un- (2) + hinge (v.). Related: Unhinged; unhinging.