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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

Requiring great skill or finesse in handling or treatment

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

grueling^US

gray^US

grey^UK

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

libellous^UK

libelous^US

politically incorrect

patronizing^US

patronising^UK

unfavorable^US

minimising^UK

dishonoring^US

minimizing^US

more ❯

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

Adjective

▲

Requiring great skill or finesse in handling or treatment

more ❯

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

rubbing the wrong way

getting on one's nerves

heckling

bullying

making somebody's hackles rise

ruffling one's feathers

getting up someone's nose

fazing

iring

raising your hackles

getting your dander up

putting someone's nose out of joint

getting your hackles up

gnawing at

picking at

rubbing you up the wrong way

working up

driving you up the wall

agonizing^US

victimizing^US

criticizing^US

getting across someone

tantalizing^US

hurting somebody's feelings

tantalising^UK

breathing down someone's neck

freaking out

bending someone's ear

keeping after

criticising^UK

agonising^UK

victimising^UK

discriminating against

terrorizing^US

sticking in one's craw

finding fault with

terrorising^UK

trying the patience of

keeping complaining to

setting one's teeth on edge

getting a rise out of

making things hot for someone

making an enemy of somebody

getting on the wrong side of

messing with

messing

pushing someon's buttons

pushing one's buttons

arousing hostility in

despairing

burdening

rattling someone's chain

upsetting the applecart

tyrannizing^US

getting in the hair of

dumping on

razzing

giving the cold shoulder

taking the mickey

getting on the nerves of

taking the piss out of

tyrannising^UK

making someone fed up

causing resentment to

treading on someone's toes

curdling

scratching around

searching high heaven

demonizing^US

running up the wrong way

mourning

pushing the buttons of

demonising^UK

having your knife into

busting someone's balls

taking it out on

carping

punishing

playing cat and mouse

putting through wringer

rubbing salt in wound

caviling^US

cavilling^UK

putting someone off their stroke

causing someone to lose their composure

showing ill will towards

pushing about

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

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

lack of comprehension

state of stupefaction

state of bewilderment

state of disorientation

dishonour^UK

dishonor^US

lack of understanding

fight-or-flight reaction

state of perturbation

source of consternation

kick in the teeth

source of distress

a bolt out of the blue

source of amazement

a bolt from 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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