What does disquiet mean?
Disquiet refers to a state of mental unease, anxiety, or restlessness — a nagging sense that something is wrong. It functions both as a noun, describing the feeling itself ("the decision caused considerable disquiet"), and as a verb, meaning to disturb or unsettle someone ("the news disquieted her"). More formal than everyday words like worry, disquiet is especially at home in political and journalistic prose, where phrases such as public disquiet or growing disquiet convey a collective, simmering apprehension rather than sharp panic. The word derives from the Latin quietus, meaning calm or rest, prefixed with dis- to indicate its absence — literally an un-quiet of the mind. Its adjective form, disquieting, describes things that provoke that unsettled feeling: a disquieting silence, a disquieting trend. For writers seeking an elevated register for unease, disquiet offers precision and gravitas without melodrama.
A feeling of worry, unease, or mild anxiety, especially one shared by a group or arising from uncertainty.
"The government's abrupt policy reversal stirred deep disquiet among voters."
Often used attributively in formal journalism, as in public disquiet or mounting disquiet.
To make someone feel anxious, troubled, or uneasy.
"Her uncharacteristic silence disquieted everyone at the dinner table."
Rarely used in the plural; disquiet is almost always treated as an uncountable mass noun referring to an abstract state of unease.
"The memoir lays bare the private disquiets behind his public confidence."
"Disquiet" literally means the opposite of "quiet" — a state of inner noise where calm should be.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of disquiet
Disquiet comes from the Old French desquieter, formed from Latin roots: the prefix dis-, indicating reversal or negation, combined with quietus, meaning calm, rest, or peace. It entered English in the late Middle English period, carrying the same dual life as noun and verb that it retains today. It shares its ultimate root with words like quiescent, acquiesce, and requiem — all descendants of Latin quies, rest.
Related word forms
How disquiet is actually used
Disquiet is notably more formal than synonyms like "worry" or "unease," and it often appears in journalistic and political writing, especially in phrases like "public disquiet." It tends to suggest a diffuse, lingering unease rather than acute fear.
Easily confused with disquiet
Dysentery is an infectious intestinal disease, while disquiet is a feeling of unease or anxiety — they share no meaning despite superficially similar sounds.