Inquiétante

Inquiétante is the feminine singular form of the French adjective inquiétant, meaning that which causes worry, anxiety, or unease; it can also be used to describe something disturbing or troubling. It is employed to characterize situations, atmospheres, or people that provoke a sense of discomfort or tension rather than explicit danger. For example, one might speak of une atmosphère inquiétante in a novel or d'une présence inquiétante dans une scène.

Étymologie: the word derives from the verb inquiéter ("to worry"), itself from Latin inquietus "not quiet." The form inquiétante agrees with feminine nouns; the masculine form is inquiétant, and the plural forms are inquiétants (masc.) and inquiétantes (fem.).

Usage: common in literary criticism, film critique, psychology, and everyday language. It conveys a mood of suspense or unease rather than overt threat. It can describe objects, people, or events that provoke curiosity as well as fear.

Nuances and synonyms: synonyms include inquiétant, préoccupant, troublant, dérangeant, alarmant. In practice, inquiétant often signals a subtle or lingering unease; stronger danger may be described with terms like menaçant or dangereux. The feminine form is used when the noun it modifies is feminine, as in une atmosphère inquiétante.

Related terms: inquiétude (noun meaning "anxiety"), inquiéter (to worry). The word appears across genres and registers, from everyday speech to literary and cinematographic critique.