unbalance

/ˈʌnˌbæləns/

/ənˈbælɪns/

Other forms: unbalanced; unbalancing; unbalances

To unbalance is to make unsteady or uneven. A sudden gust of wind might unbalance you when you're on a sailboat — don't forget to wear a life jacket!

Throw something off balance, and you unbalance it. Tickling someone who's in a one-legged yoga stance will unbalance them, and leaning too far to one side will unbalance a new bike rider. You can also call this state of being out of kilter or wobbly unbalance: "The unbalance of the tightrope walker made me glad there was a net underneath him!" And figuratively, unbalance can also mean "disturb or upset."

Definitions of unbalance

1. verb

   throw out of balance or equilibrium
   “The tax relief unbalanced the budget”

   “The prima donna unbalances the smooth work in our department”

   antonyms:

   balance

   bring into balance or equilibrium

   balance, poise

   hold or carry in equilibrium

   balance

   be in equilibrium
2. verb

   derange mentally, throw out of mental balance; make insane
   synonyms: derange

   type of:

   craze, madden

   cause to go crazy; cause to lose one's mind
3. noun

   a lack of balance or state of disequilibrium
   synonyms: imbalance, instability

   type of:

   disequilibrium

   loss of equilibrium attributable to an unstable situation in which some forces outweigh others
4. noun

   a state of mental disturbance and disorientation
   synonyms: derangement, mental unsoundness

   type of:

   insanity

   relatively permanent disorder of the mind