unsettle
Americanverb (used with object)
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to alter from a settled state; cause to be no longer firmly fixed or established; render unstable; disturb.
Violence unsettled the government.
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to shake or weaken (beliefs, feelings, etc.); cause doubt or uncertainty about.
doubts unsettling his religious convictions.
- Synonyms:
- disconcert, confuse, unbalance, disturb, upset
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to vex or agitate the mind or emotions of; upset; discompose.
The quarrel unsettled her.
verb (used without object)
verb
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(usually tr) to change or become changed from a fixed or settled condition
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(tr) to confuse or agitate (emotions, the mind, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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unsettlesimple
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unsettlessimple
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have unsettledperfect
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has unsettledperfect
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am unsettlingprogressive
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are unsettlingprogressive
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is unsettlingprogressive
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have been unsettlingperfect progressive
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has been unsettlingperfect progressive
Past
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unsettledsimple
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had unsettledperfect
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was unsettlingprogressive
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were unsettlingprogressive
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had been unsettlingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of unsettle
Explanation
To unsettle is to make someone feel disconcerted and disturbed. After you watch a scary horror movie, every little sound in your dark house will probably unsettle you. Things that leave you uneasy or anxious unsettle you, whether you receive a creepy prank phone call or have to start at a new school after moving in the middle of the year. A spooky mystery novel might unsettle you, especially if you read it at night, while falling stock prices tend to unsettle Wall Street experts. Use this verb whenever things feel upsetting and unstable.
Vocabulary lists containing unsettle
Power Prefix: un-
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The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: un-
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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.
He specifically says he won’t unsettle the financial markets that rely on having an independent Fed.
From Slate • Jul. 6, 2026
Still, few things unsettle hikers more than the possibility of a grizzly encounter.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
"It has been very concerning that an issue as important as safeguarding is being used to attempt to unsettle the church's leadership and divide its congregation," the statement added.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
The left-handed Munsey started briskly with a flurry of fours to unsettle the Italy attack in the first six overs of the powerplay.
From Barron's • Feb. 9, 2026
Then the monkey words would unsettle me; a curtain flapped loose inside my brain.
From "The Woman Warrior" by Maxine Hong Kingston
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.
