disconcerting
Americanadjective
-
disturbing to one's composure or self-possession; upsetting, discomfiting.
-
confusing, usually in the face of something totally unexpected; perplexing.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- disconcertingly adverb
- disconcertingness noun
Etymology
Origin of disconcerting
Compare meaning
How does disconcerting compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Something is disconcerting if it makes you uneasy or unsettles you. Even if you don't give your little brother's dreams of conquering the world and enslaving humanity much chance of success, you may find them disconcerting. Think of a concert as something that is organized and runs smoothly. Anything that interrupts that organization and causes concern is disconcerting. The fact that your band ends each rehearsal with a screaming match is disconcerting, unless they are a punk band. Your disconcerting habit of laughing hysterically during job interviews? That may prevent you from gaining employment.
Vocabulary lists containing disconcerting
The Great Gatsby
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Grade 9, List 3
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1984
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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 count, like many of the more posh male residents of Königsberg, had for some time found Ebel disconcerting.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
It was beyond disconcerting to hear the Iranian foreign minister on Sunday sounding like Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky circa 2022.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 4, 2026
Interviewed on the podcast Top Traders Unplugged, White sketched out the problems facing advanced economies at present and delivered a disconcerting warning of the systemic failure he thinks may be in the offing.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 7, 2026
While such an effect is highly unlikely and would probably be a tad disconcerting, Ms Mansfield says polynucleotides are forging the way when it comes to regenerative skincare.
From BBC • Nov. 21, 2025
It was disconcerting when Pet dipped in and out of her head.
From "Pet" by Akwaeke Emezi
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.
