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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Ten Words from The New York Times - June 5, 2013
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
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.
While the bond-market selloff has been unnerving some investors, it probably doesn’t represent a crisis moment for a stock market that was just getting on its feet after the summer’s chip-driven slump.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
“It’s unnerving, for sure,” said Sarah Adams, 81, a retired high school math teacher who lives alone in a Rancho Palos Verdes neighborhood with only one road in and out.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
To lifelong Catholics, the zeal of the fresh convert can be a little unnerving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026
Assessing these four guest hosts is, ultimately, an unnerving and dreadful task.
From Salon ● Jun. 12, 2026
It was unnerving; in the darkness, he was almost impossible to see, a silhouette she did not know.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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.
