UNHINGED Synonyms: 190 Similar and Opposite Words

unhinged 1 of 2

adjective

ˌən-ˈhinjd

Definition of unhinged

as in psychotic

unable to think in a clear or sensible way destined to become one of the nation's most notorious serial killers, he apparently became unhinged as a result of being abandoned as a young teen

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

unhinged

2 of 2

verb

past tense of unhinge

as in disturbed

to cause to go insane or as if insane the endless harassment by the guards completely unhinged the prisoners of war

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in alarmed

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy I was momentarily unhinged by the unexpected question

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 unhinged

Adjective

Trump literally sounds like an unhinged super villain from a Marvel comic movie. — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 30 July 2026 Any reasonable person who has followed his unhinged obsession with me would readily come to the same conclusion. — Conor Murray, Forbes.com, 29 July 2026

Verb

The film shot Curry Barker onto the A-list of new directing talent and made a star of Inde Navarrette and her virtuosically unhinged performance as Nikki. — Los Angeles Times, 21 July 2026 The music of their first decade was gloriously unhinged, and inspirational to folks from Kurt Cobain to the Flaming Lips. — Steve Appleford, SPIN, 20 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for unhinged

Recent Examples of Synonyms for unhinged

Adjective

But a poor reaction to her recovery medication kicked off a psychotic episode.

— CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 26 Aug. 2026
Psychiatric disorders are generally divided into mood disorders and psychotic disorders, Osborne said; postpartum psychosis is a mood disorder, in which mood symptoms accompany psychotic symptoms.

— Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of psychotic

Verb

As a parent who has purchased my share of scary Halloween costumes, I was particularly disturbed by the controversy now engulfing Target.

— Michelle Singletary, Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2026
If disturbed, asbestos’ microscopic crystalline fibers get into the air, where they can be inhaled, cause lung scarring and lead to fatal cancers.

— Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of disturbed

Verb

California Forever has increasingly pitched the Solano Shipyard as part of a broader effort to rebuild the US maritime industry, a priority among both Democrats and Republicans alarmed over its decline.

— Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Aug. 2026
The world’s most powerful economies are increasingly alarmed by their declining birthrates, and there’s no shortage of theories on why.

— Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of alarmed

Adjective

The new season has been absolutely insane through four episodes as the hunt to save Joe (Zoe Saldaña) from her kidnappers is underway.

— David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Aug. 2026
If Gigi is malintentioned and insane and a homewrecker, there’s no story, right?

— Hilary Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of insane

Verb

The summertime trail is swarmed by black flies, tiny but blood-crazed.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 18 Aug. 2026
If the lenses are badly crazed, meaning marred by microscopic cracks in the lens surface, or moisture is trapped inside the housing, replacement is the better option.

— John Paul, The Providence Journal, 3 July 2026

Definition of crazed

Verb

You’re not distracted by the clients waiting behind you or the sense that someone is watching and waiting for your chair to open up.

— Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2026
If it is blocked, both studios could emerge from the litigation having spent a year distracted and constrained while the rest of the industry moved forward.

— Cory Jacobson, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of distracted

Adjective

But throughout that, and much more important than the rivalry and being mad at each other or whatever, is just this absolute unending love.

— Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
What mad honey does to the human body When a human eats more than about a teaspoon of this honey, the toxin interferes with how the heart muscle generates its electrical signals.

— Prayan Pokharel, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of mad

Verb

Featuring an ensemble populated by killer character actors like Jacki Weaver, Luis Guzmán, Kurtwood Smith, Timothy Spall, and Michael Chernus, Perpetual Grace, LTD is an off-kilter neo-noir that mines deranged humor from its eccentric characters.

— Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026
Frank, moving, and just slightly deranged.

— Namara Smith, New Yorker, 10 June 2026

Definition of deranged

Browse Nearby Words

unhinge

unhinged

unhinges

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Unhinged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/unhinged. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of unhinged

adjective

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

conscientious

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Popular in Wordplay

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Games & Quizzes