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
Mr. Fitzsimons, a recreational trapper, was also carrying a six-foot-long unstrung archery bow and a fur pelt draped across his neck.
From New York Times ● Jul. 13, 2023
He also wore a fur pelt around his neck and carried an unstrung wooden archery bow.
From Washington Times ● Jul. 13, 2023
He can be seen hurling his unstrung bow into the tunnel, striking the helmet of D.C.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 27, 2022
He was looking very much like the unstrung self who had picked me up from the airport.
From "The View From Saturday" by E.L. Konigsburg
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.
