unnerve

[uhn-nurv]

See more synonyms for unnerve on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), un·nerved, un·nerv·ing.

to deprive of courage, strength, determination, or confidence; upset: Fear unnerved him.

Origin of unnerve

First recorded in 1595–1605; un-² + nerve

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for unnerving

Contemporary Examples

So much of what is considered “romantic” is actually inappropriate, pressuring, or unnerving.
Public Marriage Proposals Must Die
Tauriq Moosa
December 28, 2014
Through it all, Chris Hughes nodded approvingly, an unnerving grin on his face.
Facebook Prince Purges The New Republic: Inside the Destruction of a 100-Year-Old Magazine
Lloyd Grove
December 5, 2014
The Daily Mail reports that Mr Anderson Wheeler, 34, said: “I found it very harassing and unnerving.”
How A British Aristocrat Used Big Game Hunter’s Sperm To Get Pregnant Without His Permission
Tom Sykes
December 2, 2014
Hearing the names of places students frequent on the national news has been unnerving, students told The Daily Beast.
Person of Interest Identified in Disappearance of UVA Student Hannah Graham
Julia Horowitz
September 19, 2014
The result is an intimate and unnerving dive into their relationship narrated by the two subjects.
When the Son of Hamas Spied for Israel
Nina Strochlic
August 5, 2014

Historical Examples

She was bracing in every nerve against the unnerving of his presence.
The Coast of Chance
Esther Chamberlain
Any known danger he could face with a firm lip, but this suspense was unnerving.
A Study In Scarlet
Arthur Conan Doyle
She was conscious chiefly of an unnerving horror and a sense of contrition.
The Long Portage
Harold Bindloss
For the man had obviously been through an unnerving experience.
A Lost Cause
Cyril Arthur Edward Ranger Gull
But she was overcome by an unnerving sense of insignificance.
Mrs. Maxon Protests
Anthony Hope

British Dictionary definitions for unnerving

unnerve

verb

(tr) to cause to lose courage, strength, confidence, self-control, etc

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 unnerving

unnerve

v.

1620s, "to destroy the strength of," from un- (2) + nerve. Meaning "to deprive of courage" is recorded from 1704. Related: Unnerved; unnerving.

unnerve

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Examples from the Web for unnerving

Contemporary Examples

So much of what is considered “romantic” is actually inappropriate, pressuring, or unnerving.

Through it all, Chris Hughes nodded approvingly, an unnerving grin on his face.

The Daily Mail reports that Mr Anderson Wheeler, 34, said: “I found it very harassing and unnerving.”

Hearing the names of places students frequent on the national news has been unnerving, students told The Daily Beast.

The result is an intimate and unnerving dive into their relationship narrated by the two subjects.

Historical Examples

She was bracing in every nerve against the unnerving of his presence.

Any known danger he could face with a firm lip, but this suspense was unnerving.

She was conscious chiefly of an unnerving horror and a sense of contrition.

For the man had obviously been through an unnerving experience.

But she was overcome by an unnerving sense of insignificance.

unnerve

Word Origin and History for unnerving

unnerve

v.

Origin of unnerve