unnerve
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
unnervesimple
-
unnervessimple
-
have unnervedperfect
-
has unnervedperfect
-
am unnervingprogressive
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are unnervingprogressive
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is unnervingprogressive
-
have been unnervingperfect progressive
-
has been unnervingperfect progressive
Past
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unnervedsimple
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had unnervedperfect
-
was unnervingprogressive
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were unnervingprogressive
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had been unnervingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unnerve
Explanation
To unnerve someone is to make them feel scared or confused. Haunted houses are meant to unnerve you — though there may be nothing that unnerves you more than the first day at a new school. The original meaning of unnerve, dating back to the 17th century, was "to destroy the strength of." The source of this definition was a now-obsolete meaning of nerve, "to give strength and vigor." Today when you unnerve someone, instead of destroying their strength, you destroy their composure — in other words, you make them nervous or uncertain.
Vocabulary lists containing unnerve
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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.
See Examples For:
And gauging his public reaction afterward, it appeared to unnerve McVay.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 25, 2026
Treacy at Apex sees any change in the Fed’s language around the risk of inflation due to geopolitical conflict as likely to unnerve investors.
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 18, 2026
“A conflict like this has the clear potential to unnerve international businesses operating in the Gulf,” said Michael Ratney, who served as U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia under the Biden administration.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 28, 2026
If Musk moves ahead with the idea much of that $35 billion could come from his Tesla stake, which would unnerve investors for a while.
From Barron's ● Jan. 21, 2026
He could unnerve almost everyone by growling at them, but not Maria.
From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer
A 2006 US embassy cable described him as the BNP's "heir apparent" who "inspires few but unnerves many".
From Barron's ● Dec. 24, 2025
A feast for the curiosity-starved brain, “Invention” is the kind of revelatory work that inspires and unnerves in equal measure, a distinctly modern masterpiece that maps the rabbit hole in a way only cinema can.
From Salon ● Jun. 7, 2025
County Board of Supervisors is looking to pull hundreds of millions of dollars out of LAHSA, a move that unnerves some at L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 1, 2025
But what viewers always focus on are the moments where one candidate has a zinger of a line, or somehow unnerves their opponent, or simply seems more in control.
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2024
“You want people to look, especially if you're vulnerable. Plus it unnerves the attacker. You don’t have to say ‘kiai’-some people say ‘ha,’ or ‘hey,’ or a different word.
From "Maybe He Just Likes You" by Barbara Dee
Bowling an immaculate line and using the demons in the pitch, Archer unnerved Devon Conway with a blow to the helmet and, four balls later, had the left-hander fend to second slip.
From BBC ● Jun. 27, 2026
Still, fans of A24’s output are unnerved by the foray into AI, believing the deal is antithetical to the trendy studio’s creative-first marketing.
From Salon ● Jun. 23, 2026
The results unnerved some Altadena residents, who see more and more fire-destroyed homes being rebuilt.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
The spending should generate future sales and earnings, but the uncertainty unnerved investors.
From Barron's ● Apr. 23, 2026
The medicine seemed to have quieted his dad down, too, but Gregor was still unnerved by how fragile he looked.
From "Gregor the Overlander" by Suzanne Collins
It is unnerving to see how close the drone came to the dozens of apartment buildings surrounding the plant.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
As unnerving as this post was, it’s probably not the most questionable thing Mollen has put on her social-media feeds.
From Salon ● Jun. 4, 2026
But it was the contents of his carry-on bag that proved truly unnerving.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 3, 2026
Performing a comedy routine based on her experience was unnerving, she says, as she was scared to be vulnerable about her mistakes and risk being called a fool by the audience.
From BBC ● May 18, 2026
But the noise was unnerving all the same.
From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer
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.
