To unnerve someone is to shake them inside, so that the steadiness they normally have goes away. It is not the same as scaring someone.

To unnerve someoneUnnerve一個人 is to shake them inside就是讓他們內心動搖, so that the steadiness they normally have goes away讓他們平常的那種穩定感消失。It is not the same as scaring someone這跟嚇到一個人不一樣。

If a car nearly hits you, you are scared — your body jumps, and a minute later you are fine. If something unnerves you, the effect is quieter and it stays: you feel a little wrong, a little off, and you cannot think as clearly or act as confidently as you usually do.

If a car nearly hits you如果一輛車差點撞到你, you are scared你會被嚇到 — your body jumps身體會嚇一跳, and a minute later you are fine一分鐘後就沒事了。If something unnerves you如果有件事unnerve了你, the effect is quieter and it stays那種感覺比較安靜，卻會一直留著: you feel a little wrong, a little off你會覺得哪裡怪怪的、不太對勁, and you cannot think as clearly or act as confidently as you usually do沒辦法像平常一樣想得清楚、做得有自信。

A student who is unnerved by a hard first question may then do badly on the easy questions after it — that is the real damage. The things that unnerve people are often small and strange rather than big and loud: someone smiling at you when they should be angry, a phone call at 3 a.m., a room that is too quiet, being watched while you work.

A student who is unnerved by a hard first question一個被很難的第一題unnerve到的學生 may then do badly on the easy questions after it接下來反而會把簡單的題目也答不好 — that is the real damage那才是真正的傷害。The things that unnerve people讓人unnerve的事 are often small and strange rather than big and loud常常是又小又怪的，而不是又大又吵的: someone smiling at you when they should be angry明明該生氣的人卻對你笑, a phone call at 3 a.m.半夜三點的電話, a room that is too quiet一個太安靜的房間, being watched while you work工作時被人盯著看。

It is usually used in the passive — 'I was unnerved by…' — because it is about what happened to you, not about someone choosing to do it. Someone CAN do it on purpose, though: a chess player or a lawyer may try to unnerve an opponent by staying calm and saying nothing.

It is usually used in the passive這個字通常用被動式 — 'I was unnerved by…'我被…弄得心神不寧 — because it is about what happened to you因為講的是發生在你身上的事, not about someone choosing to do it而不是有人故意去做。Someone CAN do it on purpose, though不過確實有人可以故意這麼做: a chess player or a lawyer棋手或律師 may try to unnerve an opponent可能會想讓對手心神不寧 by staying calm and saying nothing靠著保持冷靜、什麼都不說。

It is a slightly literary word; in speech people more often say 'it freaked me out' or 'it gave me a bad feeling', and they save 'unnerve' for writing or for careful speech.

It is a slightly literary word這是個有點文學性的字; in speech people more often say說話的時候人們比較常說 'it freaked me out'把我嚇壞了 or 'it gave me a bad feeling'或讓我有種不好的感覺, and they save 'unnerve' for writing or for careful speechunnerve則留給寫作或講究的場合使用。