What does unnerving mean?
Word: Unnerving
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Unnerving means making you feel nervous and less sure of yourself.
Synonyms: unsettling
Antonyms: calming, soothing
How do you spell unnerving?
Syllables: un - nerv - ing
Tricky part: Two n's stand together at the start. The prefix brings one and the next part brings the other, and writers often drop one of them.
Watch out for: unerving, unnurving
Memory tip: Picture two nervous n's standing shoulder to shoulder at the front of the word, each too shy to leave the other.
Unnerving in a sentence
Example 1: It was unnerving to hear my own voice echo round the empty hall.
Example 2: Oliver found it unnerving when the whole class turned to look at him.
Example 3: Waiting in the wings before a solo can be unnerving, even for a good singer.
Fun Fact
The word grew from the verb unnerve, and nerve there means courage, the same sense heard in the phrase lose your nerve.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
unnerveing
a) r
b) v
c) e
d) n
Show answer
c) e. When -ing is added, the e at the end of nerve is dropped, just as in serving.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word unnerving as used in the sentence:
Meera kept talking, but the long, silent stare from the debate judge was unnerving.
a) disconcerting
b) encouraging
c) amusing
d) tiresome
Show answer
a) disconcerting. The stare threw Meera off balance, and disconcerting means exactly that.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. unnerving 2. composure 3. hesitant 4. aprehensive
a) slow to act or speak because you feel unsure
b) causing you to feel uneasy and unsettled
c) the state of staying calm and in control
d) worried that something unpleasant may happen
Show answer
d) worried that something unpleasant may happen. Apprehensive needs a double p after the a, so word 4 is the misspelt one.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Lena found the silent, empty exam hall unnerving on her first visit. How did she feel?
a) cold and rather hungry
b) proud and very pleased
c) tense and a bit on edge
d) bored and rather sleepy
Show answer
c) tense and a bit on edge
2. Which moment is most likely to feel this way for a new player?
a) reading the fixture list on the notice board
b) drinking water during the half-time break
c) tying the laces of a new pair of boots
d) walking out in front of a packed stadium
Show answer
d) walking out in front of a packed stadium
