unstrung
Americanverb
adjective
-
having the string or strings loosened or removed, as a bow or harp.
-
weakened or nervously unhinged, as a person or a person's nerves; unnerved; discomposed.
The incident left him unstrung.
adjective
-
emotionally distressed; unnerved
-
(of a stringed instrument) with the strings detached
Etymology
Origin of unstrung
First recorded in 1590–1600, for the adjective
Vocabulary lists containing unstrung
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.
By the time Gilgamesh sets out in search of immortality, he is already unstrung.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
He also wore a fur pelt around his neck and carried an unstrung wooden archery bow.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 13, 2023
He also said he carried an unstrung archery bow “to signify his peaceful intent.”
From Washington Post ● Aug. 19, 2022
That is not to say it’s historically unstrung along the lines of “The Great” or “Bridgerton” or Sofia Coppola’s “Marie Antoinette”; generally speaking, it stays put within its period.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2021
She unstrung the bow and picked up the arrows she had dropped.
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
