unnerved
/ʌnˈnɜːv/ (bre, ipa) · [ənnˈɚvd] /ʌnˈnɝːv/ (ame, ipa)
unnerved — verb
- unnervedpresent simple I / you / we / they
- unnerveds3rd person singular
- unnerveding-ing form
- unnervededpast simple
1. to take away someone's calm and steady feeling, so that they become worried, sha
to take away someone's calm and steady feeling, so that they become worried, shaky, or no longer sure of themselves
The strange noise from the attic unnerved David as he was reading alone at night.
unnerve + someone in a tense scene
Eri was unnerved by the silence in the empty hospital corridor at three in the morning.
passive: be unnerved by + noun
The lawyer's calm smile during the trial unnerved Arjun more than any sharp question would have.
Ayana felt completely unnerved when she opened the front door and found the lock already broken.
Loud thunder during the live broadcast unnerved Esteban, and his voice began to shake on air.
- unsettle
milder; closer to 'disturb mildly' rather than 'shake someone's nerve'
- rattle
informal; emphasises a quick loss of composure, often visible to others
- disconcert
more formal; focuses on confusion as well as anxiety
- shake
broader; can also mean physical trembling; often used in passive 'be shaken by'
文法句型
unnerve + someone
be unnerved by + noun
用法筆記
Frequently passive ('be / feel unnerved by …'). Subject of the active form is typically the unsettling stimulus — a sound, silence, a calm threat, an unexpected detail — rather than a direct attacker.