unnerving

American  

[uhn-nur-ving] / ʌnˈnɜr vɪŋ /

adjective

1. depriving a person of courage, strength, determination, or confidence; disconcerting.

   There's nothing easy about job hunting, but if asked to pinpoint the most unnerving part of the process, many would say it's interviewing.

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Other Word Forms

• unnervingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of unnerving

unnerv(e) ( def. ) + -ing ² ( def. )

Explanation

Use the adjective unnerving to describe situations and experiences that cause you to lose your courage. No matter how brave you are, a walk alone through a cemetery at night is bound to be a little unnerving. You might find it unnerving to get a flat tire on a deserted country road at sunset, or to find yourself onstage mid-play having completely forgotten your lines. In the 1620's, the root word unnerve meant "to destroy the strength of," but by the early 1700's it came to mean "to deprive of courage."

Example Sentences

Still, as these robots grow in number and size, those big innocent “eyes” and the cutesy design take on an unnerving air.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

“You’re conditioned to think that the market only goes one direction, and it has for the last few years. So this pullback is kind of unnerving for folks who’ve never experienced it before.”

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

De Wet maintains an unnerving smile and intensity throughout “Hag,” playing the role with as much humor as it deserves.

From Salon • Apr. 5, 2026

"It's unnerving," Joy Coker, a mother of three in the area, said of the warehouse's location.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

“Your attention, please,” he said with an unnerving smile.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

Related Words

• abhorrent
• appalling
• atrocious
• awesome
• awful
• dangerous
• dire
• disastrous
• disturbing
• dreadful
• frightful
• ghastly
• gruesome
• harrowing
• hideous
• horrendous
• horrid
• horrifying
• serious
• severe