rattled

Meaning

1. 1adjectivecomparableinformal

   Suddenly unsettled and unable to think or act calmly, usually because something unexpected has startled or worried you.

   Grammar: Used after a verb such as be, look, seem or get: She looked rattled.

   Patterns

   • be rattled by something
   • get rattled
   • look rattled

   The pitcher looked rattled after the crowd began to boo.

   She was visibly rattled by the angry email from her manager.

   Don't get rattled if the interview questions are tougher than you expected.

Word forms

Common combinations

visibly rattled

The speaker was visibly rattled when the microphone failed.

look rattled

He didn't look rattled even though the audience was hostile.

get rattled

Beginners often get rattled when the traffic is heavy.

rattled by something

I was rattled by the sudden noise outside.

easily rattled

She is not easily rattled, even in a crisis.

Synonyms and how they differ

flustered

Flustered suggests being confused and flushed with hurry or embarrassment, while rattled stresses being shaken by a shock.

shaken

Shaken is more serious and often follows a frightening event, whereas rattled can be quite mild.

unnerved

Unnerved is more formal and describes losing courage or confidence, while rattled is more casual.

disconcerted

Disconcerted is formal and implies puzzlement as well as unease, which rattled does not.

Opposites

Word family

rattle verb

to make someone nervous or upset, or to make a quick knocking sound

rattle noun

a quick knocking sound, or a baby's toy

rattling adjective

making a rapid knocking sound, or unsettling

Commonly confused: rattled or rattled (past tense)?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “rattled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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