rattled

Rattled is an adjective meaning unsettled, unnerved, or disturbed, typically after a shock, surprise, or unexpected event. A person who has just received unsettling news might feel rattled, as would someone whose plans were disrupted or who has heard alarming information. The term can also describe a situation or object that is physically shaken or makes a rattling sound.

As a verb, to rattle means to shake or cause to shake, and to produce a rapid series of sounds or vibrations. In passive form, the phrase was rattled can describe emotional disturbance, for example, "The nerves were rattled," while "the window rattled" describes a physical vibration. The past tense and past participle are rattled.

Etymology traces to the noun and verb rattle for a noise or shake; the figurative use to describe mental disturbance emerged from the sense of being jarred or shaken by something surprising or alarming.

Usage notes: Rattled is informal but widely understood in both speech and writing. It typically signals temporary disturbance rather than deep-seated anxiety. In idioms, people say they are 'rattled by' something or have 'rattling nerves.' The term can describe people, plans, or equipment under stress, or the effect of events on a group or audience.

See also: rattle, rattling, rattler.