Synonyms of unsettling

unsettling 1 of 2

adjective

ˌən-ˈset-liŋ

1

as in disturbing

causing worry or anxiety

unsettling new developments in the effort to bring peace and stability to that region

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disturbing
• troubling
• frightening
• scary
• upsetting
• disquieting
• distressing
• nasty
• troublesome
• discomforting
• worrisome
• perturbing
• terrifying
• shocking
• terrible
• horrible
• nagging
• troublous
• disconcerting
• discouraging
• dismaying
• discomposing
• dire
• daunting
• alarming
• discomfiting
• disheartening
• demoralizing
• chilling
• dispiriting
• dread
• dreadful
• direful
• horrifying
• fearful
• formidable
• forbidding
• ghastly
• frightful
• intimidating
• persecutory
• horrendous
• fearsome
• harassing
• persecutive
• hair-raising

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• reassuring
• settling
• soothing
• calming
• comforting
• narcotic
• dreamy
• relaxing
• sedative
• inviting
• quieting
• tranquilizing
• consoling
• lulling
• pacifying

2

as in uneasy

marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings

had the unsettling task of picking out a coffin and making the other funeral arrangements for his father

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disturbing
• uneasy
• tense
• anxious
• unnerving
• nervous
• restless
• creepy
• disquieting
• distressing
• worrisome
• distressful
• fraught
• agitating
• embarrassing
• hairy
• nerve-racking
• nail-biting
• troublesome
• strained
• awkward
• bothersome
• discouraging
• foreboding
• disheartening
• restive
• misgiving
• unrestful

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• easy
• quiet
• comfortable
• peaceful
• tranquil
• calming
• restful
• quieting
• pacific

unsettling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of unsettle

as in alarming

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy

the news that the local grocery store had sold contaminated produce unsettled many shoppers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• disturbing
• alarming
• distracting
• worrying
• bothering
• concerning
• haunting
• distressing
• upsetting
• disquieting
• angering
• discomforting
• agitating
• dismaying
• annoying
• plaguing
• perturbing
• irritating
• confusing
• unhinging
• undoing
• embarrassing
• ailing
• derailing
• rattling
• exercising
• freaking (out)
• exasperating
• aggravating
• fussing
• flurrying
• distempering
• discomposing
• bugging
• frazzling
• vexing
• discouraging
• disconcerting
• weirding out
• harassing
• hagriding
• jarring
• discomfiting
• nettling
• irking
• unnerving
• galling
• grating
• harrying
• pestering
• riling
• mortifying
• confounding
• chafing
• fretting
• bedeviling
• daunting
• putting off
• piquing
• disheartening
• putting out
• getting
• dispiriting
• chivying
• demoralizing
• flustering
• peeving
• shaking up
• discountenancing
• nonplussing
• abashing
• fazing

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• soothing
• calming
• settling
• composing
• quieting
• alleviating
• tranquilizing
• allaying
• appeasing
• pacifying
• placating
• assuaging
• conciliating
• mollifying
• propitiating

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of unsettling

Adjective

One neighbor said seeing the large law enforcement presence during Pierre’s arrest made the allegations even more unsettling. — Oscar Margain, NBC news, 28 Sep. 2026

Adrià describes a world filtered through adolescence, where people, places and situations can appear idealized, magical or unsettling. — Callum McLennan, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026

Verb

However unsettling these jactitations appear, the open world remains the happiest and freest place to live. — Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Atlantic, 28 June 2026

In her first four months on the job, the new CEO of New York Public Radio has swiftly eliminated many of its seniormost figures, surprising the organization’s staff and unsettling some of its remaining leaders. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 1 June 2026