disconcertingadj.

?1749 W. Duff New Hist. Scotl. 4 Edward having good Intelligence of their disconcerting Measures, attack'd the Scots Army at Falkirk.

1899 J. Shouler Hist. U.S.A. VI. i. 200 Here the Chickahominy River was a disconcerting element..for..it wound about McClellan's base.

1905 S. Tyler Japan-Russia War iii. 82 Before proceeding with the story of these damaging and disconcerting operations, it will be convenient to describe the course which events were taking in other quarters of the theatre of war.

1915 Bull. Univ. Illinois School Educ. No. 13. 152 This objection would never arise if only a sincere desire to aid child welfare prompted the work and no disconcerting plan or idea was allowed to interfere.

1761 tr. L. Damours Lett. N. de L'Enclos to Marquis de Sevigné in tr. Douxménil Mem. N. de l'Enclos II. 60 A lively repartée, a disconcerting raillery, a quick resentment.

1774 T. Toller Let. 19 Sept. in Lett. J. Fordyce & T. Toller (1775) ii. 15 Is there any impropriety in asking, who those many receivers are to whom the part I bore in the service was so extremely disagreeable, and disconcerting?

1815 W. Scott Guy Mannering II. xiv. 238 He felt the silence of his companions disconcerting and oppressive.

1891 R. Kipling City Dreadful Night 61 A stolid and disconcerting company is this ring of eyed monsters.

1914 E. von Arnim Pastor's Wife xxviii. 359 She received his speeches with enthusiasm,..and, what was particularly disconcerting, she answered back.

1947 R. Guthrie in tr. D. Rousset Other Kingdom 20 The book gets under way with a disconcerting abruptness.

1979 Washington Post (Nexis) 23 June a6 The lack of fuel was seriously disconcerting to many residents of this motor-minded nation.

2000 V. Fuller in C. Newland & K. Sesay IC3 103 I do find it disconcerting the way she stares at me.