unsettle

[ uhn-set-l ]

verb (used with object)

, un·set·tled, un·set·tling.

1. to alter from a settled state; cause to be no longer firmly fixed or established; render unstable; disturb:

   Violence unsettled the government.

2. to shake or weaken (beliefs, feelings, etc.); cause doubt or uncertainty about:

   doubts unsettling his religious convictions.

   Synonyms: disconcert, confuse, unbalance, disturb, upset

3. to vex or agitate the mind or emotions of; upset; discompose:

   The quarrel unsettled her.

verb (used without object)

, un·set·tled, un·set·tling.

1. to become unfixed or disordered.

unsettle

/ ʌnˈsɛtəl /

verb

1. usually tr to change or become changed from a fixed or settled condition
2. tr to confuse or agitate (emotions, the mind, etc)

Derived Forms

• unˈsettlement, noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of unsettle¹

First recorded in 1535–45; un- ² + settle ¹

Example Sentences

These developments unsettle traditional ideas about gender and power — and millions of men find themselves searching for some sort of stable identity as men.

From Salon

“Beautiful women unsettle and disrupt. This isn’t yellow cake uranium.”

From Los Angeles Times

All told, this week’s execution spree should unsettle all Americans, whether or not they support the death penalty.

From Slate

He was quick to sweep the spinners, thumping a reverse to the fence off Zampa, and peppered the short leg-side boundary when Australia tried to unsettle him with short stuff.

From BBC

Critics praised the ambition of Tafdrup's film, which the New York Times called "utterly fearless in its mission to unsettle", underpinned by its shocking final scenes.

From BBC

Related Words

• agitate
• confuse
• disconcert
• disorganize
• disquiet
• disrupt
• disturb
• perturb
• rattle
• unnerve