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unnerve verb

unnerved; unnerving; unnerves
Definition of unnerve
transitive verb

1: to deprive of courage, strength, or steadiness
2: to cause to become nervous : UPSET

He became visibly unnerved

unnervingly  adverb
Synonyms & Antonyms for unnerve
Synonyms

demoralize, emasculate, paralyze, undo, unman, unstring
Antonyms

nerve
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Choose the Right Synonym for unnerve
UNNERVE, ENERVATE, UNMAN, EMASCULATE mean to deprive of strength or vigor and the capacity for effective action. UNNERVE implies marked often temporary loss of courage, self-control, or power to act.  unnerved by the near collision  ENERVATE suggests a gradual physical or moral weakening (as through luxury or indolence) until one is too feeble to make an effort.  a nation's youth enervated by affluence and leisure  UNMAN implies a loss of manly vigor, fortitude, or spirit.  a soldier unmanned by the terrors of battle  EMASCULATE stresses a depriving of characteristic force by removing something essential.  an amendment that emasculates existing safeguards


Examples of unnerve in a Sentence
 Seeing the police in there unnerved me.
 She was unnerved by his strange manner.
Recent Examples on the Web
This moment could unnerve even the most seasoned coach — Final Four berth at stake, the winningest coach in college basketball history on the opposing bench, that same adversary only one loss from retirement.
— Ron Kroichick, San Francisco Chronicle, 25 Mar. 2022
The prospect of more protesters this weekend threatens to further unnerve residents who find themselves in the middle of a fight over measures to contain Covid-19 and encourage vaccination.
— Paul Vieira, WSJ, 4 Feb. 2022
The Hirshhorn’s 2017 show brought teeming crowds and hours-long, winding lines that would unnerve almost anyone in a pandemic-cautious world.
— Washington Post, 31 Mar. 2022
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These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'unnerve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of unnerve
1603, in the meaning defined at sense 1


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entnervt, entmutigt sein