disturbing

adjective

dis·​turb·​ing di-ˈstər-biŋ 

: causing feelings of worry, concern, or anxiety

disturbing news

a disturbing discovery

The next phase in which I had a part was even more disturbing, and infinitely more painful.

—Bram Stoker

disturbingly

di-ˈstər-biŋ-lē 

adverb

disturbingly high levels of pollution

a disturbingly familiar problem

… the texture of ordinary life and talk has taken on a disturbingly ambiguous quality …

—Jonathan Raban

Synonyms

• abrasive
• aggravating
• annoying
• bothersome
• carking
• chafing
• exasperating
• frustrating
• galling
• irksome
• irritating
• maddening
• nettlesome
• nettling
• peeving
• pesky
• pestiferous
• pestilent
• pestilential
• pesty
• plaguey
• plaguy
• rankling
• rebarbative
• riling
• vexatious
• vexing

Examples of disturbing in a Sentence

a disturbing visit by the next-door neighbor while I was trying to study

there was a disturbing silence as I struggled to remember her name

a disturbing trend in the nation's energy consumption

a disturbing pause in the normally smooth operation of the machinery

Recent Examples on the Web

And in this case, Johnson expects the video to be disturbing. —Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2024

The video captures a disturbing sequence: A woman can be seen walking along a sidewalk in the Bronx on an early May morning, when a man, his face covered, approaches from behind. —Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 11 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above