to unnerve

Examples

• All

• The unexpected change in plans began to unnerve the entire team as the deadline approached.

• The thought of staying at a hotel near the runway unnerved me.

  Last Chance Harvey (2008)

• We tend not to invite police in the bank too often, it can unnerve the staff.

  The Sweeney (2012)

• For some reason, the reference to Shakespeare seemed to unnerve the delegation.

  Academic text (2000)

• Unnerved, he began to watch himself.

  Love the Coopers (2015)

• The accent was bad enough, but it was this smile that unnerved me most about him.

  Fiction book (1995)

• Even now, as an adult, he was unnerved when one of his parents showed any sign of weakness.

  Fiction book (1990)

• At one point, he had to withdraw from the job for a spell, unnerved by the endless disputes.

  Academic text (2011)

• "You do know about Jane, don't you?" she asks so seriously it unnerves him.

  Fiction book (1996)

• Stewart, smiling, searches Ada's face for some sign of comprehension but is unnerved by her lack of response.

  Fiction book (1993)

Synonyms

S

to scare

vsto unnerve

∞ 1.0

To make someone feel afraid or unsure of themselves

is less about fear and more about general loss of composure

F

to frighten

vsto unnerve

540 1.0

To make someone feel afraid

is broader and includes nonfearful confidence loss or nervousness

U

to upset

vsto unnerve

362 1.0

Make someone feel sad or worried

is specifically about reducing confidence or making someone nervous

I

to intimidate

vsto unnerve

294 4.9

To frighten someone so they do what you want

lacks the explicit aim to control someone, focusing on shaken confidence

D

to disturb

vsto unnerve

153 2.5

Make someone feel deeply worried or upset

is less intense and centres on losing confidence or composure

A

to agitate

vsto unnerve

42 4.8

To make people feel strongly excited or upset

is more about lowering calm confidence than provoking strong emotion

D

to dismay

vsto unnerve

37 4.4

Make someone feel shocked or worried by something unexpected

is narrower, mainly about making someone feel less confident

R

to ruffle

vsto unnerve

31 4.1

Make someone feel slightly upset or annoyed

is stronger, implying a clearer loss of confidence or composure

F

to faze

vsto unnerve

23 7.1

Make someone feel upset or lose confidence

is broader and can mean making someone nervous without strong shock

D

to disconcert

vsto unnerve

7 7.1

To make someone feel uncomfortable or embarrassed

is less about embarrassment and more about lowering confidence

U

to unsettle

vsto unnerve

7 4.9

To make someone feel worried or uneasy

stresses loss of confidence specifically rather than general anxiety

P

to perturb

vsto unnerve

7 7.0

To make someone feel worried or uneasy

is more directly about lowering confidence and composure

K

to keep someone on edge

vsto unnerve

• Informal

2 7.4

Make someone feel nervous and unsure about what will happen

usually denotes a single act that lowers confidence rather than sustained tension

D

to discomfort

vsto unnerve

1 4.3

To make someone feel uneasy or anxious

relates more to a loss of confidence and mental composure

D

to discompose

vsto unnerve

1 9.1

To make someone feel nervous

focuses specifically on reducing confidence or making someone nervous

D

to disquiet

vsto unnerve

1 7.3

To make someone feel worried or uneasy

focuses more narrowly on reducing confidence and calmness

D

to discomfit

vsto unnerve

• Formal

1 8.4

To make someone feel uncomfortable, confused, or embarrassed

is narrower, mainly about lowering confidence rather than confusion

C

to consternate

vsto unnerve

• Archaic

1 9.9

To make someone feel sudden shock and worry

is generally less sudden and more about gradual loss of confidence

U

to unfix

vsto unnerve

9.1

Make someone feel upset and unable to think clearly

aims more at reducing confidence and calm than deep instability

U

to unglue

vsto unnerve

• Informal

7.5

To make someone lose control of their feelings

is more about lowering confidence rather than general emotional unsettlement

U

to untune

vsto unnerve

• Archaic

8.9

To make someone lose their calm and feel upset

is more focused on reducing confidence than broad emotional change

U

to unstill

vsto unnerve

9.9

Make people and places feel restless or worried

is more about an immediate loss of confidence or calm

Antonyms

R

to reassure

163 3.4

To make someone feel less worried and more confident

How Nervous

to terrify

148 3.2

to unsettle

7 4.9

to unnerve

20 6.3

to disconcert

7 7.1

to startle

131 3.7

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology