Unsettledly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Acting in a way that demonstrates a lack of stability or security in demeanor and actions
2. displaying an anxious or restless attitude that suggests discomfort
3. behaving in a manner free from calmness and assurance, reflecting inner turmoil or disturbance

Etymology: "Unsettledly" is a plain formation: the adjective "unsettled" with the adverb-forming suffix "-ly" added to the end. "Unsettled" itself is built from "un-," a prefix meaning "not," attached to "settled," the past participle of "settle." So the word is a layered construction, a negation of a negation's root, with "settle" carrying the original sense of fixing something firmly in place. The adverb describes doing something in a manner that shows restlessness or unease, as though one's composure has not fully come to rest. Because the meaning comes straight from the parts, the word needs no special story; its sense follows from the logic of its pieces, with each layer adding a precise idea: not, settled, then in the manner of.

Synonyms: uneasily, restlessly, anxiously, uncomfortably

Antonyms: calmly, steadily, quietly, peacefully