upsetting
Making someone distraught
Upsetting describes something that causes emotional distress or disturbance: The news was upsetting to everyone.
It can range from mildly disappointing to deeply disturbing.
The word also has a technical sense in metalworking—upsetting is the process of shortening and thickening metal by hammering or pressing on its end.
Causing anguish or worry
- troublingCausing unease or concern
- disturbingCausing mental unease
- hurtfulCausing emotional pain
- painfulCausing hurt or ache
heartbreaking · devastating · traumatic · saddening · disheartening · dismaying · grievous · sorrowful
Causing unease or confusion
- unnervingCausing loss of composure
- disquietingCausing unease or worry
- jarringDisturbingly incongruous
- startlingCausing sudden surprise
shocking · alarming · perturbing · rattling · discomfiting · off-putting · chilling · eerie
Going off course
- destabilizingCausing loss of equilibrium
- chaoticTotally without arrangement
- dislocatingForcing from proper position
- unsettlingCausing unease or discomfort
turbulent · disorderly · interruptive · intrusive · obstructive · interfering · hindering · complicating
Causing to collapse
- capsizingWatercraft inverting suddenly
- tippingPaying beyond the bill
- flippingTurning over rapidly
- upendingTurning upside down
inverting · overbalancing · tumbling · spilling · keeling · rolling · tilting · unseating
Causing mild frustration
- frustratingCausing irritation, blocking progress
- aggravatingCausing irritation or worsening
- infuriatingCausing extreme anger
- maddeningCausing extreme frustration
exasperating · vexing · irksome · bothersome · galling · provoking · grating · nettlesome
Causing extreme anxiety
- tenseStrained or nervous
- worryingAnxious mental preoccupation
- overwhelmingIntensely excessive in force
- drainingDepleting one's reserves
taxing · pressuring · straining · exhausting · fraught · agitating · distressful · burdensome
distressing
Causing anguish or worry
- troublingCausing unease or concern
- disturbingCausing mental unease
- hurtfulCausing emotional pain
painful · heartbreaking · devastating · traumatic · saddening · disheartening · dismaying · grievous · sorrowful · anguishing
disconcerting
Causing unease or confusion
- unnervingCausing loss of composure
- disquietingCausing unease or worry
- jarringDisturbingly incongruous
startling · shocking · alarming · perturbing · rattling · discomfiting · off-putting · chilling · eerie · creepy
derailing
Going off course
- destabilizingCausing loss of equilibrium
- chaoticTotally without arrangement
- dislocatingForcing from proper position
unsettling · turbulent · disorderly · interruptive · intrusive · obstructive · interfering · hindering · complicating · confounding
toppling
Causing to collapse
upending · inverting · overbalancing · tumbling · spilling · keeling · rolling · tilting · unseating · dislodging
irritating
Causing mild frustration
- frustratingCausing irritation, blocking progress
- aggravatingCausing irritation or worsening
- infuriatingCausing extreme anger
maddening · exasperating · vexing · irksome · bothersome · galling · provoking · grating · nettlesome · rankling
nerve-wracking
Causing extreme anxiety
- tenseStrained or nervous
- worryingAnxious mental preoccupation
- overwhelmingIntensely excessive in force
draining · taxing · pressuring · straining · exhausting · fraught · agitating · distressful · burdensome · demanding
- blacksmithinganvil, anvils, forge, forges, bellows
- metalworkingwelding, casting, forging, smithing, smelting
- coinageminting, denomination, dies, mint mark, blanks
- mintingcoinage, minter, coiner, mintmarks, die maker
- smithingforging, blacksmithing, hammering, hand forging, drawing out
- exhaustingdraining, taxing, tiring, exhausting, fatiguing
upsettingcomforting
Giving emotional ease
reassuring · soothing · calming · consoling · heartwarming
- upsetting the applecartSpoiling existing arrangements