rattled 1 of 2

adjective

as in upset

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rattled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of rattle
1
as in clattered
to make a series of short sharp noises the children tromped through the kitchen, making the plates on the shelf rattle

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2
as in chatted
to engage in casual or rambling conversation busily rattling away about our vacation plans, we didn't listen to the announcements and missed our flight

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3
as in rambled
to talk at length without sticking to a topic or getting to a point she rattled on and on about all her European shopping trips, but I wasn't really listening

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4
as in embarrassed
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress don't let a little mistake rattle you while you're playing during the piano recital

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of rattled
Adjective
But New York never looked rattled. — Alejandro Avila, FOXNews.com, 4 June 2026 Though the actress said the moment did not physically harm her, the interaction left her rattled and confused. — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 19 May 2026 The anemic performance breathed even more confidence into the Spurs, who looked rattled in Game 1. — Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 7 May 2026 The conflict with Iran has driven up borrowing costs and rattled markets, adding to economic uncertainty. — Samantha Delouya, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026 Movius asked the rattled crowd afterward. — Los Angeles Times, 24 Feb. 2026 Most importantly, Darnold didn’t make a mistake all night, while Maye seemed rattled and lost a fumble and threw a late interception. — Dave Hyde, Sun Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026 As a result, Nvidia’s results next week could soothe some rattled nerves around tech, given that where the AI chipmaker goes, the stock market seems to go as well. — Sarah Min, CNBC, 14 Nov. 2025 His praise came several months after some of the president's loudest supporters called Barrett squishy, a rattled law professor and a DEI hire for siding against the administration on one of the president’s many emergency appeals. — Maureen Groppe, USA Today, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
Those drivers’ days (and lives) were rattled far more than those stuck in the backup behind them. — Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 30 Aug. 2026 His campaign website includes a section dedicated to investing in rural communities, and Talarico has focused on data center policy in recent weeks, holding a roundtable in Abilene on the subject that has rattled the state’s rural residents. — Eleanor Dearman updated August 29, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 Aug. 2026 Despite the back and forth, Winker’s allegations left commissioners — and even Fifield’s vice president of development, Sarina Sorrentino — rattled. — Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026 The hack rattled the cyber and tech sector, raising questions over accelerating AI development. — Samantha Subin, CNBC, 27 Aug. 2026 The one issue that could have been a distraction — Daniels’ attorney sent a cease-and-desist letter to LSU in an effort to get the school to stop using Daniels’ name, image and likeness — appears not to have rattled the quarterback. — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 An earthquake early Sunday rattled eastern Japan, including the Tokyo area, injuring more than 30 people, most of them lightly, officials said. — Mari Yamaguchi, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2026 Art DeRamus' nerves are still rattled after his Delaware home of 43 years was peppered with bullets in the middle of the night. — Ryan Hughes, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 Parents at evacuation centers in the village said many children were afraid to return indoors and woke up frightened whenever aftershocks rattled the island. — ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for rattled
  1. upset
  2. clattered
  3. chatted
  4. rambled
  5. embarrassed
  6. bothered
  7. talked
  8. wandered
Adjective
  • Common signs that your dog may be sensitive to something in their food can include frequent scratching, paw licking, gas, loose stools, occasional digestive upset, or changes in coat quality.
    — Matthew Kayser, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The thinking is that orbital data centers can leapfrog past some of the ground-level issues such as where to build them, and upset communities that don’t want to host data centers, despite their municipalities making deals for construction.
    — Amanda Gerut, Fortune, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of upset
Verb
  • Those memories of Keegan chasing, Keegan scoring, Keegan leading 1970s Liverpool across England and Europe to trophy upon trophy were clattered by 2026 reports of his illness and death.
    — Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 Aug. 2026
  • But the moment that may have sealed Argentina’s fate came in the final minutes of second-half stoppage time when Enzo Fernández clattered into Spanish center back Pau Cubarsí at midfield, flipping him head over heels.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of clattered
Verb
  • During an exclusive visit to the homes each team transformed, PEOPLE sat down with the two groups and chatted about what viewers can expect to see on Totally ‘90s House.
    — Natalia Senanayake, PEOPLE, 24 Aug. 2026
  • As Boyd chatted with Miller near the Cubs dugout for further explanation, Counsell, who turned 56 on Friday, got tossed for the fifth time this year, tying his most ejections in a single season during his 12-year managerial career.
    — Meghan Montemurro, Chicago Tribune, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of chatted
Verb
  • Cars lined the streets looking for parking spots as people rambled through the bustling marketplace at Clock Tower Landing.
    — Kendrick Calfee June 6, Kansas City Star, 6 June 2026
  • When asked simple questions by William Savitt, one of the attorneys representing OpenAI, Musk rambled and avoided the issue at hand.
    — Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 18 May 2026
Definition of rambled
Verb
  • One night earlier in the tour, a woman Usher had brought onstage rebuked him, which embarrassed him.
    — Doreen St. Félix, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2026
  • This isn’t a hypercar to smash lap records around the Nürburgring, but nor will it be embarrassed by a Porsche 911 GT3 at a track day.
    — Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of embarrassed
Adjective
  • Admittedly, viewers on the festival circuit, like those in Locarno where this debuted, and folks who might catch it on streamers or in niche distribution are unlikely to be very bothered about the film’s lack of impartiality.
    — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Rumpled lengths ooze insouciance, radiating a can't-be-bothered energy that, for some, is far cooler than even the bounciest blowout.
    — Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 4 July 2026
Definition of bothered
Verb
  • During their visit, the wife talked incessantly, sharing stories about their family members in great detail.
    — R. Eric Thomas, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2026
  • The Hollywood Reporter reported in November 2024 that Cruise had talked to Paramount about a follow-up to his 1990 NASCAR racing film.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of talked
Verb
  • The Denver encounter also came just days after a mother bear and cub wandered into the city's Harvey Park neighborhood.
    — Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 23 Aug. 2026
  • Sant Ambroeus Aspen A bear recently wandered into a restaurant in Aspen, while another was spotted on Colorado State University's campus during move-in week.
    — Spencer Wilson, CBS News, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of wandered

Browse Nearby Words

rattlebrains
rattled
rattles
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Cite this Entry

“Rattled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/rattled. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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