upsetting
adjective
up·set·ting
(ˌ)əp-ˈse-tiŋ 
: mentally or emotionally troubling or disturbing : causing feelings of worry or anxiety
heard some upsetting news
an upsetting experience
We're up to [a deficit of] $1.5 trillion a year …. These numbers are truly upsetting.—
Bill Gates
Bill GatesProfessors issue, or students demand, trigger warnings when presenting material that might be upsetting to some: depictions of rape, sexism, racism, suicide.—Yvonne Abraham
Yvonne Abraham
upsettingly
adverb
an upsettingly graphic depiction of violence
In comparison to male historical figures, the number of women that we learn about throughout school is upsettingly low.
—Alexis Gardner
Alexis Gardner
Examples of upsetting in a Sentence
the constant arguing is upsetting to a sensitive person like your grandmother
Recent Examples on the Web
When Georgia basketball was on the verge of upsetting Florida in February, football coach Kirby Smart, who was sitting courtside, worked with athletic director Josh Brooks to tell fans to wait until the Gators had left the court.
—Seth Emerson, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Emma San, Dublin track and field: The UC Davis commit completed her successful return from an ACL injury, winning the 100-meter hurdles at the NCS meet in 14.59 by upsetting top qualifier Hope Diekmann from San Ramon Valley.
—Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 29 May 2025
The poster shared a particularly upsetting incident involving her father and her nephew, who was kissed on the head as a newborn against the parents’ wishes.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 26 May 2025
And that’s the upsetting part, and it’s not being controlled in the right way.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for upsetting
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Seth Emerson, New York Times, 29 May 2025
Emma San, Dublin track and field: The UC Davis commit completed her successful return from an ACL injury, winning the 100-meter hurdles at the NCS meet in 14.59 by upsetting top qualifier Hope Diekmann from San Ramon Valley.
—Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 29 May 2025
The poster shared a particularly upsetting incident involving her father and her nephew, who was kissed on the head as a newborn against the parents’ wishes.
—Ashley Vega, People.com, 26 May 2025
And that’s the upsetting part, and it’s not being controlled in the right way.
—Doug Kyed, Boston Herald, 23 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for upsetting
Cite this Entry
“Upsetting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/upsetting. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.
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