Sad
Sad adjective - Feeling unhappiness.
Unsettling and sad are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Unsettling" instead an adjective "Sad".
Unsettling
Unsettling adjective - Causing worry or anxiety.
Sad and unsettling are semantically related. Sometimes you can use "Sad" instead an adjective "Unsettling".
Mutual synonyms
Both words in one sentence
-
Most of the hero characters in the Rankin Bass Stop Motion Christmas specials had built-in smiles, which made it unsettling when they had to be angry or sad.
Source: Perpetual Smiler -
That said, she also had trouble with "sad"... Laughing Mad: Twilight giggles in a rather unsettling fashion just before showing Rarity her Applesack/Charity fanfiction.
-
A somewhat unsettling PIF from the National Canine Defense League (currently known as Dogs Trust) shows a simple shot of a tired and sad dalmatian laying on a red blanket.
Cite this Source
Unsettling and Sad. (2016). Retrieved 2026, August 07, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/sad/unsettling
Sad & Unsettling. N.p., 2016. Web. 07 Aug. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/sad/unsettling>.
Unsettling or Sad. 2016. Accessed August 07, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/sad/unsettling.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "sad" and "unsettling" have occurred on timeline