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.

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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)

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Other Word Forms

• unsettlement noun

Etymology

Origin of unsettle

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

Example Sentences

The unsettling reality: It isn’t easy to know where a used car’s air bag came from.

From The Wall Street Journal

As Ms. Oyeyemi trains her sharp, unsettling wit on the familiar spectacle of a woman set up as a target for abuse, the novel begins to sing.

From The Wall Street Journal

San José Mayor Matt Mahan’s entry into the race on Thursday — relatively late to mount a gubernatorial campaign — exemplifies the unsettled nature of the race.

From Los Angeles Times

That brief loss of control appears to have deeply unsettled the authorities.

From BBC

The day before the gathering, London had received unsettling news from her son’s doctor and missed the party.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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