English Reference

Word

disconcerting

Phoneticsdis·con·cert·ing

US/ˌdɪskənˈsɝtɪŋ/

UK/dˌɪskənsˈɜːtɪŋ/

Definition

v. making you feel slightly worried or confused because it is unexpected or strange.

v. causing a feeling of unease or mild alarm; making someone feel slightly unsettled or disoriented.

Examples

“It is disconcerting to see the same mistake happen twice.”

“The sudden change in the company's leadership was disconcerting for the employees who had grown used to the old management style.”

“The witness's disconcerting silence during the cross-examination suggested that he might have been withholding information that could have changed the outcome of the trial.”

Examples

simple

“It is disconcerting to see the same mistake happen twice.”

contextual

“The sudden change in the company's leadership was disconcerting for the employees who had grown used to the old management style.”

complex

“The witness's disconcerting silence during the cross-examination suggested that he might have been withholding information that could have changed the outcome of the trial.”

Real-World Examples

“The more disconcerting threat lies in a compromised device, Vekaria added, which could be made to execute any command its hardware allows.”
Al Jazeera · 10 Sept 2026
“Art Media/The Print Collector via Getty Images It’s disconcerting to envision human thought becoming redundant or deemed inferior due to advancements in artificial intelligence.”
The Conversation · 21 Aug 2026

Etymology

From disconcert + -ing.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Level
C1 · Advanced
Frequency
Occasional
Updated

Scan code

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English Reference