What does unsettled mean?
Word: Unsettled
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Unsettled means likely to change, or not feeling calm and at ease.
Synonyms: changeable, restless
Word origin: The verb inside it goes back to Old English, where it meant to seat or place.
How do you spell unsettled?
Syllables: un - set - tled
Tricky part: Students hear a single t in the middle and write unsetled. The word needs two, exactly as settle does.
Watch out for: unsetled, unseteled
Memory tip: Picture a tent held steady by two pegs side by side: those pegs are the two t's.
Unsettled in a sentence
Example 1: The weather has been unsettled all week, so we keep an umbrella by the door.
Example 2: The question of who would captain the team was still unsettled at lunchtime.
Example 3: Arjun felt unsettled for a few days after moving to Pune, but new friends soon made it feel like home.
Fun Fact
A settle is still the name of a long wooden bench with a high back, a meaning that goes back to the Old English word for a seat.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell Spies
Choose the incorrectly spelt word:
a) untangled
b) unsetteld
c) unfettered
d) unrivalled
Show answer
b) unsetteld. Only one of these is wrong: the le must come before the d, as in settled.
Word Puzzle
Match each word with its opposite:
1. unsettled 2. reckless 3. scarce a. cautious b. stable c. plentiful
a) 1-a, 2-b, 3-c
b) 1-b, 2-c, 3-a
c) 1-c, 2-a, 3-b
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c
Show answer
d) 1-b, 2-a, 3-c. Stable is the reverse of unsettled, cautious of reckless, and plentiful of scarce.
Jumble Tumble
What is the meaning of the word that can be formed from the given letters?
dltesteun
a) still shifting, and not sure to stay the same
b) carved by hand from a single block
c) warm and friendly towards every guest
d) neatly arranged in long straight rows
Show answer
a) still shifting, and not sure to stay the same. The word hidden here is unsettled, used for what may yet change.
Sound Check
In which word is 'un' pronounced differently?
a) unwise
b) unsettled
c) unfold
d) unison
Show answer
d) unison. Unison begins with a "yoo" sound; the other three begin with the sound of up.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A sports reporter says the result of the match is still unsettled. This means ___.
a) the winner is not yet known
b) both teams have gone home
c) the match was played indoors
d) the prize has been handed out
Show answer
a) the winner is not yet known
2. Which of these forecasts best fits unsettled weather?
a) clear blue skies for the whole week
b) sun, then showers, then strong wind
c) a light and steady breeze all day
d) dry heat from morning until night
Show answer
b) sun, then showers, then strong wind
