“+ transitive verb
Etymology: un- (II) + nerve, n.
1. : to deprive of courage and physical strength : cause to become weak and ineffective especially from fear
a steeplejack … was exhausted and unnerved and could not hold on to his dangerous perch much longer — Boy Scout Handbk.
the sudden revulsion of feeling unnerved him — F.W.Crofts
2. : to cause to become nervous or discomposed : upset
a lady … so emotional in her acting that she unnerves me — John McCarten
waiting for something to happen was starting to unnerve everybody
3. : denervate
unnerve a chronically lame leg of a horse
Synonyms:
unnerve , enervate , unman , and emasculate can mean in common to deprive of strength, vigor, or the capacity to advance, to overcome difficulties, or often to stand up under even the normal physical or moral strains of existence. unnerve implies marked loss of courage, self-control, or power to act
utterly unnerved by her surprise, Fara leaned limply against him — L.C.Douglas
the magnitude of problems in other fields (education, health, housing, social welfare) is equally unnerving — Hal Lehrman
so unnerved … that he threw away his pistol — Peter Forster
enervate implies a gradual physical or moral weakening, often as a result of luxury or indolence, until one is too feeble to exert effort
work had not made him strong, but enervated him. He was pale and thin, with no chest, no buttocks, not even a stomach — Donald Windham
such a power does not destroy, but … enervates, extinguishes, and stupefies a people, till each nation is reduced to nothing better than a flock of timid and industrious animals — Alexis de Tocqueville
a love of luxury has enervated the virile race that swarmed in cabins — Russell Lord
unman implies loss of manly vigor, control, or spirit
debilitated and unmanned by factory-produced comforts — Time
every tiny animal he roused in its burrow startled him, unmanned him with the noise of its movement — Norman Mailer
unmanned by a woman's tears
emasculate implies a loss of force, especially by the removal of something essential
a plan emasculated by lack of funds
supporters voted against the treaty … rather than have it passed in emasculated form — H.S.Quigley
how to … emasculate homemade bombs — J.A.Maxwell