- (usually tr) to change or become changed from a fixed or settled condition
- (transitive) to confuse or agitate (emotions, the mind, etc)
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
un•set•tle /ʌnˈsɛtəl/USA pronunciation
v. [~ + object], -tled, -tling.
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- to disturb;
shake or weaken (beliefs, feelings, etc.);
cause doubt or uncertainty about. - to disturb or upset the mind or emotions of.
un•set•tle
(un set′l),USA pronunciation v., -tled, -tling.
v.t.
v.i.
v.t.
- to alter from a settled state;
cause to be no longer firmly fixed or established;
render unstable;
disturb:Violence unsettled the government. - to shake or weaken (beliefs, feelings, etc.);
cause doubt or uncertainty about:doubts unsettling his religious convictions. - to vex or agitate the mind or emotions of;
upset;
discompose:The quarrel unsettled her.
v.i.
- to become unfixed or disordered.
- un-2 + settle1 1535–45
- 2. . upset, disturb, unbalance, confuse, disconcert.
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
unsettle /ʌnˈsɛtəl/ vb
'unsettling' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):