unsettled

UK: ʌnˈsɛt(ə)ld | US: ʌnˈsɛt(ə)ld

Definition

  1. adj. not fixed or stable; uncertain

  2. adj. emotionally disturbed or anxious

  3. vt. (past tense of "unsettle") caused to feel uneasy or disrupted

Structure
un <not>settle <fix/resolve>ed <adjective/past participle suffix>
Etymology

The word combines the negative prefix "un-" (Old English "un-," meaning "not") with "settle" (from Old English "setlan," meaning "to place firmly"). The suffix "-ed" marks it as an adjective or past participle. Originally, "settle" implied physical stability (e.g., settling land), but by the 16th century, it extended to emotional/mental states. "Unsettled" thus logically evolved to mean "not resolved" or "disturbed."

Examples

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