Entry Word: disturbing

Function: adjective

Meaning: 1 causing annoyance <a disturbing visit by his little cousin while he was trying to study> — see annoying
2 causing embarrassment <there was a disturbing silence as I struggled to remember her name> — see awkward 3
3 causing worry or anxiety <a disturbing trend in the nationʼs energy consumption> — see troublesome
4 marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings <a disturbing pause in the normally smooth operation of the machinery> — see nervous 2