unnerve Hear it!

unnerve Definition

un·nerve (-nʉrv′)

transitive verb -·nerved′, -·nerv′·ing

  1. to cause to lose one's courage, self-confidence, etc.
  2. to make feel weak, nervous, etc.

unnerve Synonyms

unnerve

v.

frighten, unman, dishearten, enervate, discourage; see also weaken 2, frighten 1.

unnerve implies a causing to lose courage or self-control as by shocking, dismaying, etc. the screams unnerved her; enervate implies a gradual loss of strength or vitality, as because of climate, indolence, etc. enervating heat; unman implies a loss of manly courage, fortitude, or spirit he was so unmanned by the news that he broke into tears

unnerve Usage Examples

Object

  • observation: Hold em in product of genuine been exposed to unnerving observations into.
  • doctor: Isn't it a bit unnerving that doctors call what they do " practice " ?
  • viewer: To explain any more would be a crime - the film relies on the fear of the unknown to unnerve the viewer.
  • audience: What makes it worth while is what it does with those stock elements and that is to unnerve the audience.
  • team: The prospect of qualification for the Champions League inspires and unnerves teams in equal measure.
  • experience: This an eccentric and at times unnerving experience where live art meets jazz meets champagne.

Infinitive complement

  • have: It can be a bit worrying or unnerving to have our senses masked.
  • find: Was slightly unnerved later to find them all collected round the pooter reading back issues of the blog!
  • see: And it's certainly unnerving to see mercenaries using vehicles against you.
  • watch: It is quite unnerving to watch fifteen journalists scribbling down your every word as tho it were a pronouncement from on high.

Modifying Another Word

  • slightly: Was slightly unnerved later to find them all collected round the pooter reading back issues of the blog!
  • rather: This was rather unnerving for everyone as we had not seen so many non-Chinese faces for weeks.
  • quite: His eyes were so glassy and quite unnerved me.
  • so: What was so unnerving was that they all watched in total silence.
  • very: June 14 2003 © John Salter Something very unnerving happened in the canteen during the day... .
  • really: Seeing him curled up in a fetus position really unnerved me.

Preposition: in

stance: There is, admittedly, something both admirably and unnerving in the stance taken by both Blair and Kamm in relation to Iraq.