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What is another word for upsetting?

Need synonyms for upsetting? Here's a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead.

Contexts ▼

Adjective

Causing distress or discomfort

Offensive in nature

Very objectionable, bad or unpleasant

Causing surprising negative emotions

Verb

To be irritating or upsetting, typically with repeated or unpleasant acts

To be triggering a passionate feeling or reaction

Present participle for to disturb mentally or emotionally

Present participle for to cause disarray or disorganization in the order of

Present participle for to knock over something

Present participle for to defeat in unexpected circumstances

Present participle for to cause disorder in

Noun

Disturbance or problems which interrupt an event, activity, or process

A cancellation or overturning of a decision or course of action

The state of being bewildered or unclear in one's mind about something

… more ▼

Adjective

▲

Causing distress or discomfort

agonizing^US

agonising^UK

sombre^UK

somber^US

unfavorable^US

unsavory^US

unsavoury^UK

humourless^UK

humorless^US

enough to try the patience of a saint

enough to drive you up the wall

bedevilling^UK

bedeviling^US

meagre^UK

meager^US

gruelling^UK

ill-favored^US

gray^US

ill-boding

grey^UK

grueling^US

emotionally exhausting

emotionally depleting

dishonoring^US

agonized^US

agonised^UK

enough to try the patience of Job

racked with suffering

enough to tax the patience of a saint

enough to test the patience of a saint

more than flesh and blood can stand

more than one can stand

more than one can bear

more ❯

“Martin has just gone through a painful and upsetting divorce.”

Adjective

Offensive in nature

ill-humored^US

libellous^UK

libelous^US

rubbing the wrong way

politically incorrect

sulphurous^UK

sulfurous^US

accidentally on purpose

minimising^UK

unfavorable^US

dishonoring^US

minimizing^US

more ❯

“Sally still hasn't forgiven you for that upsetting comment you made about her derriere.”

Adjective

▲

Very objectionable, bad or unpleasant

unsavory^US

unsavoury^UK

terrorizing^US

terrorising^UK

fetid^US

foetid^UK

off-colour^UK

off-color^US

ill-favored^US

strictly for the birds

gruelling^UK

grueling^US

more ❯

Adjective

▲

Causing surprising negative emotions

Verb

▲

To be irritating or upsetting, typically with repeated or unpleasant acts

bedeviling^US

bedevilling^UK

rubbing up the wrong way

driving to distraction

getting someone's goat

getting under your skin

getting up your nose

giving someone grief

giving someone the hump

hacking off

making your blood boil

driving round the bend

driving round the twist

getting someone's dander up

getting your back up

hacking you off

heating up

making someone see red

getting on your nerves

giving someone the pip

putting your back up

hitting where one lives

getting on someone's nerves

getting someone's wick

ruffling someone's feathers

getting in someone's hair

rattling someone's cage

trying someone's patience

getting on someone's tits

getting someone's hackles up

getting under someone's skin

making someone's hackles rise

getting someone's back up

agonizing^US

agonising^UK

victimizing^US

victimising^UK

brutalizing^US

rubbing the wrong way

brutalising^UK

getting on one's nerves

tyrannizing^US

tyrannising^UK

terrorizing^US

discriminating against

terrorising^UK

breathing down someone's neck

doing over

bending someone's ear

roughing up

causing agony to

putting someone's nose out of joint

beating up

making somebody's hackles rise

tantalizing^US

tantalising^UK

setting one's teeth on edge

rubbing you up the wrong way

carping at

inflicting anguish on

ruffling one's feathers

messing up

making things hot for someone

sticking in one's craw

driving you up the wall

getting your dander up

getting up someone's nose

imposing on

jarring

showing antagonism to

disapproving of

feeling ill will towards

showing ill will towards

bearing a grudge towards

getting a rise out of

trying the patience of

sending into a rage

getting your hackles up

punishing repeatedly and unfairly

labouring^UK

laboring^US

upsetting the applecart

guying

making an enemy of somebody

getting on the wrong side of

bringing pressure to bear on

searching high heaven

getting across someone

demonizing^US

demonising^UK

having your knife into

playing the heavy with

riding roughshod over

jumping on one's case

putting the squeeze on

getting in the hair of

razzing

taking the mickey

getting on the nerves of

taking the piss out of

dishonoring^US

doing an injustice to

giving no quarter

stepping on the toes of

putting someone off their stroke

causing someone to lose their composure

criticizing^US

keeping complaining to

criticising^UK

busting someone's balls

taking it out on

moaning at

making it hot for someone

hunting

exiling

sticking the knife into

expelling

dragooning

getting the knife into

giving someone the works

inflicting pain on

working over

inflicting suffering on

more ❯

Verb

▲

To be triggering a passionate feeling or reaction

galvanizing^US

energising^UK

energizing^US

galvanising^UK

Verb

Present participle for to disturb mentally or emotionally

hurting somebody's feelings

getting on your wick

“She was highly sensitive, and we were constantly walking on eggshells trying not to upset her.”

Verb

▲

Present participle for to cause disarray or disorganization in the order of

“The ship trembled slightly, enough to make one lose their balance, but not enough to upset anything.”

Verb

▲

Present participle for to knock over something

“Willie sprang on the top of the table and upset the bottle of ink upon Martha's manuscript.”

Verb

▲

Present participle for to defeat in unexpected circumstances

“A rank outsider would upset the reigning champion.”

Verb

▲

Present participle for to cause disorder in

throwing into confusion

throwing into disorder

throwing out

turning topsy-turvy

“Many activists and researchers claim that constant human intervention will upset the balance of nature.”

Noun

▲

Disturbance or problems which interrupt an event, activity, or process

more ❯

Noun

▲

A cancellation or overturning of a decision or course of action

cancelation^US

canceling^US

cancelling^UK

more ❯

Noun

▲

The state of being bewildered or unclear in one's mind about something

skepticism^US

scepticism^UK

state of stupefaction

state of bewilderment

state of disorientation

lack of comprehension

lack of understanding

dishonor^US

dishonour^UK

state of perturbation

source of consternation

kick in the teeth

source of distress

a bolt out of the blue

more ❯

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Related Words and Phrases

What is another word for upsetting?

Need synonyms for upsetting? Here's a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead.

Related Words and Phrases

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