unnerve
verb (used with object)
to deprive of courage, strength, determination, or confidence; upset.
unnerves
-
present tense formof unnerve (3rd person singular).present tense
Used to describe things happening now or regularly.
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.
Based in the English city of Bristol, George has an on-the-spectrum manner that unnerves some colleagues, but his record of solving cases is a source of envy on his squad.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026
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
The idea, however, unnerves the Department of Labor, which oversees retirement plans.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2022
The only thing about him that unnerves me is the dark look that falls over him when I tell him about something that Marcus said or that Jay Oh and Adrian have done.
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
