as in disturbing
causing worry or anxiety
the constant arguing is upsetting to a sensitive person like your grandmother
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in alarming
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
the smallest things can upset us if we're already stressed
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in overturning
to turn on one's side or upside down
the narrow boat upsets easily and should be handled with care
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in disrupting
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
the change in the bus schedule upset our daily routine
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 upsetting
Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
To be online is to have to actively avoid seeing upsetting images, though jobs like Margot’s are like trying to funnel the ocean through a colander.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Dee-Ann Durbin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Your body works harder to digest sugary drinks, slowing fluid absorption and potentially upsetting an already sensitive stomach.
—Brandi Jones, Verywell Health, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upsetting
Adjective
That was such a terrible shock and really upsetting, horrifying, and scary.
—Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Apr. 2026
To be online is to have to actively avoid seeing upsetting images, though jobs like Margot’s are like trying to funnel the ocean through a colander.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 10 Apr. 2026
Verb
Cade realized the players were sweating out electrolytes — another word for minerals like sodium, potassium and magnesium — and upsetting the body’s chemical balance.
—Dee-Ann Durbin, Los Angeles Times, 17 Apr. 2026
Your body works harder to digest sugary drinks, slowing fluid absorption and potentially upsetting an already sensitive stomach.
—Brandi Jones, Verywell Health, 1 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for upsetting
Recent Examples of Synonyms for upsetting
Adjective
-
Angels fans who had regained some faith in Yusei Kikuchi after last weekend’s encouraging start could only watch with frustration as all of that was wiped away in one disturbing inning.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Most disturbing about the Game 3 blowout was not the who, but the how.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The alerts were triggered by the severe thunderstorm moving through the area, alarming some residents who were unaware the city’s siren system now also goes off when a severe weather warning is issued by the National Weather Service.—
Gloria Casas,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Apr. 2026
-
Midway through my massage, the boat unmoored itself and set sail—setting off an initially alarming vibrating bed and whirring engine noise.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Garcia Torres’ appellate attorney who secured the ruling overturning the conviction also did not respond to messages seeking comment.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Election law experts contend that the scenario of Republicans successfully overturning election results is unlikely, with legal remedies available to prevent stalling and ensure certification of results by January 3 when the new Congress convenes.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While disrupting the business of an American multinational company may seem a pallid response to the destruction of an Iranian primary school where more than a hundred children were killed, such asymmetric attacks in the physical and digital realms have been a feature of this conflict.—
Sue Halpern,
New Yorker,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Treasury has issued sanctions on more than 1,000 targets since 2025 under the current maximum pressure campaign, the official said, aimed at disrupting Iran’s oil trade and financial networks.—
Efrat Lachter,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Still, things are unsettling here.—
Jen Chaney,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2026
-
But the intention is to create a new generation of horror films that draw from the unsettling power, psychological intensity, and cinematic ambition that made J-horror a defining force in global genre filmmaking.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
29 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The curators supply a historical backdrop, therefore, but discreetly, and without distracting us from Wright’s poetic originality.—
Julian Bell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
The Living Room also extends outdoors to the rooftop Terrazzo Bar with views that are almost too distracting.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Frontex patrol boat sank off the tiny Greek island of Kastellorizo after capsizing, the coast guard said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Operators of another boat happened to be on the phone with the Coast Guard checking conditions in the inlet and reported the vessel, the Moonstruck, capsizing, according to The Coastland Times.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Welcome to Asking for a Friend, a weekly series dedicated to solving the messy, awkward, and confusing parts of modern friendship.—
Jenna Ryu,
SELF,
22 Apr. 2026
-
But factors like confusing trailheads and limited provisions mean that going alone also comes with unique risks.—
Allison Forsyth,
Health,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Upsetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/upsetting. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
