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.
After all, Ms. Oates writes in this unsettling story, when Julia now sees Ryan “at a little distance, in a parking lot or on the street,” she doesn’t always recognize him.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Hartnett’s work is dynamic and unsettling, making what could be a forgettable tertiary character into an integral part of the story that viewers hold in the back of their minds, even when he’s offscreen.
From Salon ● Oct. 9, 2026
The Canadian comedian, writer and producer Fielder is famous for harnessing the power of awkwardness, cringe and deadpan wit to great, if unsettling, comedic effect.
From Barron's ● Oct. 9, 2026
There are so many scary diseases out there that I had to wonder: Is there something about plague that is particularly unsettling?
From Slate ● Oct. 8, 2026
Occasionally she heard unsettling sounds, but she never caught sight of what made them.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
