disturb

verb

dis·turb di-ˈstərb

disturbed; disturbing; disturbs

Synonyms of disturb next

transitive verb

: to interfere with : interrupt

disturbing the flow of traffic

: to alter the position or arrangement of

the items on her desk had been disturbed

: to upset the natural and especially the ecological balance or relations of

wetlands disturbed by development

: to destroy the tranquility or composure of

The noisy lawnmower disturbed their sleep.

was disturbed by his bizarre behavior

: to throw into disorder

disturbing our routine

: alarm

trying not to disturb the sleeping dogs

: to put to inconvenience

sorry to disturb you at such a late hour

intransitive verb

: to cause disturbance

disturber noun

disturbingly

di-ˈstər-biŋ-lē

adverb

Choose the Right Synonym for disturb

discompose, disquiet, disturb, perturb, agitate, upset, fluster mean to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action.

discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

Example Sentences

I'm sorry to disturb you at such a late hour. She doesn't want to be disturbed while she's working. Don't disturb the baby when he's sleeping. The noise disturbed my concentration.

Recent Examples on the Web One of the stars of that 2018 Palme d’Or winner, Sakura Ando, reunites with the director in this Rashomon-esque story to play a mother confronting her son’s teacher after disturbing charges are made concerning the boy’s behavior. —

David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2023 Studies have suggested that some sweeteners may exacerbate diabetes risk and disturb the balance of good and bad microbes in the gut. —

Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 16 May 2023 But massive explosions burbling up from below can also disturb the ionosphere. —

Byjonathan O’callaghan, science.org, 12 May 2023 The thin, dry air of the stratosphere is where jet aircraft and weather balloons reach their maximum altitude, and the relatively calm atmospheric layer is rarely disturbed by turbulence. —

Ashley Strickland, CNN, 11 May 2023 In the Calama departures hall, a dog slept stretched out on a bench while a group of men sat on their luggage rather than disturb him. —

Maggie Shipstead Anthony Cotsifas, New York Times, 10 May 2023 And that disturbing reality looks unlikely to change anytime soon. —

Tori Otten, The New Republic, 9 May 2023 Contains profanity, nudity, smoking, disturbing images and adult themes. —

Ann Hornaday, Washington Post, 9 May 2023 The scientist Harold Tunmore, missing for nearly 30 years, is finally found alive—though highly disturbed—in an asylum. —

Liz Braswell, wsj.com, 28 Apr. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disturb.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English disturben, destourben, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French destorber, from Latin disturbare, from dis- + turbare to throw into disorder, from turba disorder — more at turbid

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Time Traveler

The first known use of disturb was in the 14th century

See more words from the same century