- present participle of unnerve.
unnerving
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unnerving
Explanation
Use the adjective unnerving to describe situations and experiences that cause you to lose your courage. No matter how brave you are, a walk alone through a cemetery at night is bound to be a little unnerving. You might find it unnerving to get a flat tire on a deserted country road at sunset, or to find yourself onstage mid-play having completely forgotten your lines. In the 1620's, the root word unnerve meant "to destroy the strength of," but by the early 1700's it came to mean "to deprive of courage."
Vocabulary lists containing unnerving
The Dead and the Gone
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Ten Words from The New York Times - June 5, 2013
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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.
In early images released by A24 Holmes is shown maintaining intense, unnerving eye contact with Fielder, scenes that made even him "uncomfortable," he said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
"As a performer he was unparalleled – witty, charming, unnerving, and deeply funny. We will always consider it one of our greatest treasures to have been part of Long John Silver's crew," it added.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
He called this phenomenon magical and slightly unnerving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 8, 2026
How unnerving that its creation scarred its creator.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
The bed has a floral spread, and there are unnerving paintings of bunnies on the walls.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
