unsettle

American  

[uhn-set-l] / ʌnˈsɛt l /

verb (used with object)

unsettled, unsettling

1. to alter from a settled state; cause to be no longer firmly fixed or established; render unstable; disturb.

   Violence unsettled the government.

2. to shake or weaken (beliefs, feelings, etc.); cause doubt or uncertainty about.

   doubts unsettling his religious convictions.

   Synonyms:

   disconcert, confuse, unbalance, disturb, upset

3. to vex or agitate the mind or emotions of; upset; discompose.

   The quarrel unsettled her.

---

verb (used without object)

unsettled, unsettling

1. to become unfixed or disordered.

unsettle British  

/ ʌnˈsɛtəl /

verb

1. (usually tr) to change or become changed from a fixed or settled condition

2. (tr) to confuse or agitate (emotions, the mind, etc)

---

Other Word Forms

• unsettlement noun

Etymology

Origin of unsettle

First recorded in 1535–45; un- ² + settle ¹

Example Sentences

The unsettling sounds continued night after night until Mother felt “almost sick.”

From Literature

He revealed the present unsettled climate had most notably delayed the signing of several partnerships, making it imperative to reorganise the Cojop leadership immediately.

From Barron's

Martinez wants his signs to unsettle viewers who are insulated from the city’s unrest.

From Los Angeles Times

He also described the streets afterwards as "very quiet and unsettling".

From BBC

The media coverage over recent days will be deeply unsettling for the Royal Household.

From BBC

Related Words

• agitate
• confuse
• disconcert
• disorganize
• disquiet
• disrupt
• disturb
• perturb
• rattle
• unnerve