unsettle
verb (used with object)
to alter from a settled state; cause to be no longer firmly fixed or established; render unstable; disturb.
unsettling
-
present participleof unsettle.present participle
A verb form that is used in progressive verb constructions and may also function as a modifier or a gerund.
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.
The effect is astonishing; it is also unsettling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2026
The South later resumed border loudspeaker broadcasts for the first time in six years, including K-pop and international news, while the North began transmitting strange, eerie sounds across the frontier, unsettling South Korean residents.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
Visiting teams can sometimes find the excitement around rugby league in Papua New Guinea unsettling.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
It was my unsettling introduction to electric-vehicle range anxiety.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
“But that is their business, not mine. What matters is that now he will be fully occupied with his ostrich-racing business and forget all those unsettling things he said about the children.”
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
