unsettle
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to alter from a settled state; cause to be no longer firmly fixed or established; render unstable; disturb.
Violence unsettled the government.
-
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
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.
Still, few things unsettle hikers more than the possibility of a grizzly encounter.
From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2026
He cuts in from the left-hand side, and has the pace and balance to unsettle opponents.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
Martinez wants his signs to unsettle viewers who are insulated from the city’s unrest.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 24, 2026
Even better, he has used his beauty not to become a matinee idol but to unsettle and surprise us, portraying characters whose handsomeness is very much the point but not the whole story.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 5, 2026
The mother looked down at the road, remembering something that seemed to briefly unsettle her.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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.
