disconcerting 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of disconcertingnext
as in embarrassing
causing embarrassment a disconcerting habit of chewing with his mouth open

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

disconcerting

2 of 2

verb

present participle of disconcert
as in confusing
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress we were disconcerted by the unexpected changes to the program

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of disconcerting
Adjective
Ultimately, swarms of AI could combine in rather disconcerting and dangerous ways. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 There was a brief, disconcerting interlude of quiet from the Argentina fans after that. — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 20 July 2026 In the finale, Matthew’s scenes with K Callan, who plays Ruth, are really disconcerting. — Emily Zemler, Rolling Stone, 18 June 2026 Bari Weiss directed the housecleaning at the newsmagazine last week, and Nick Bilton signed the letter telling Scott Pelley he was fired on Tuesday night, but the Paramount CEO owns the decisions and the disconcerting fallout. — Brian Stelter, CNN Money, 3 June 2026 The abruptness is disconcerting but can be overcome by learning the pedal’s nuances. — James Raia, Mercury News, 1 May 2026 That is really, really, really disconcerting. — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 1 May 2026 Other content, however, could be so disconcerting that it is assumed never to produce meaningful debate, and news outlets (and other platforms) need to make difficult decisions on how to identify and remove such content. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 22 Apr. 2026 There are plenty of inconveniences frequent air travelers have become accustomed to, from long security lines to shrinking overhead storage bins, but few are as disconcerting as heavy turbulence in flight. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 7 Apr. 2026
Verb
Rates of autism are rising to previously unseen levels, owing largely to better detection and new diagnostic criteria, but the numbers are still disconcerting. — Ruby Cramer, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 It is filled with off-putting, perhaps even disconcerting antics, and teams don't want to add that to their locker room. — Armando Salguero, FOXNews.com, 5 Aug. 2026 One less gory but still disconcerting video shown in court was the bodycam footage from the night in February 2024 when members of the LA County Sheriff’s Department paid a visit to Burke’s Hollywood Hills home. — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 22 July 2026 This imbalance is perhaps not expressly disconcerting much of the time. — Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026 There was also some disconcerting history to consider. — Mike Wall, Space.com, 17 Apr. 2026 There’s a lot of disconcerting news about AI in journalism lately. — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 5 Mar. 2026 The news is disconcerting for nearby residents like Moody. — Olivia Young, CBS News, 27 Feb. 2026 As the Alabama Crimson Tide prepare for the rival Auburn Tigers ahead of Saturday’s Iron Bowl, the team received a bit of disconcerting news. — Michael Gallagher, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disconcerting
  1. embarrassing
  2. confusing
  3. uncomfortable
  4. rattling
  5. awkward
  6. disturbing
  7. unpleasant
  8. difficult
Adjective
  • The issue became particularly embarrassing for the league because teams had previously been punished for using unauthorized charter flights.
    — Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Paying your old pal seven figures to hand you an embarrassing loss.
    — Chris Branch, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Verb
  • Then began the desperate, confusing search for their colleagues.
    — Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Summary Founders frequently misjudge their business's worth, often confusing revenue with actual value.
    — Lien De Pau, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of confusing
Adjective
  • Unlike those folks from the other side of the country who fill cold-weather stadiums for bad teams during snowstorms and brag about it, the local sports fans stay away from struggling teams in uncomfortable situations and shrug about it.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • This is uncomfortable to implement, because someone in legal, compliance or operations has to sign their name to a permanent record of judgment calls the business used to make quietly and never revisit.
    — Krupesh Bhat, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of uncomfortable
Verb
  • The song was a frenetic evolution of Brooklyn drill—the grimy, bone-rattling subgenre of hip-hop popularized by Bobby Shmurda—and its instrumental by the British producer 808Melo gave it a brash East London bounce.
    — Taran Dugal, New Yorker, 30 Aug. 2026
  • The blockade choked one of the world’s most important shipping lanes and Iran dictated where the war’s frontline would be, rattling the global economy.
    — Justin Fishel, ABC News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of rattling
Adjective
  • Lug a bulky, awkward, bear-proof canister to store your food so you don’t get mauled.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • That puts the conference’s universities in an awkward—and potentially paradoxical—position of promoting a product that researchers within their academic departments have raised concerns about.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of awkward
Verb
  • Since each qubit is individually connected to the coupler, each qubit can be individually reset without disturbing its neighboring qubits.
    — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
  • Kyiv authorities told parents to prepare for the possibility of attacks disturbing school and urged them to teach their children what to do during an alert.
    — Ivana Kottasová, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of disturbing
Adjective
  • Discard soy sauce that smells unpleasant, has a sour taste, or contains mold.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Cedarwood Oil Cedarwood is another essential oil with an unpleasant smell to mice as well as other pests.
    — Emily Benda Gaylord, The Spruce, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of unpleasant
Adjective
  • Being undefeated after a trio of difficult opening matches can only be seen as a positive, even if Newcastle’s obvious shortcomings require addressing if that run is to be prolonged.
    — Chris Waugh, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Engineers need flight data on propulsion, aerodynamics, thermal management, guidance and other subsystems under conditions that are difficult to reproduce on the ground.
    — Bojan Stojkovski, Interesting Engineering, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of difficult

Browse Nearby Words

disconcerted
disconcerting
disconcertment
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Cite this Entry

“Disconcerting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disconcerting. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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