disturbed

adjective

dis·​turbed di-ˈstərbd 

1

: experiencing or exhibiting emotional disturbance or agitation : having a mental disability or illness

… the San Francisco police department, for example, handles 18,000 calls involving emotionally disturbed citizens every year.

—Newsweek

2

a

: characterized or affected by interference, alteration, or disruption

restoration of disturbed habitats

disturbed sleep

b

: departing or deviating from a normal condition : marked by impairment

disturbed glucose metabolism

a disturbed gait

Examples of disturbed in a Sentence

He seems very disturbed about his work lately.

Recent Examples on the Web

Not for the first time, the internet itself was declared weird, mean, gross, disturbed. —Paul McAdory, Them., 9 Dec. 2025

After a few months of this, the wood-board group was doing fine, but the mice with food cut on plastic boards had more intestinal inflammation and disturbed gut bacteria. —Matt Fuchs, Time, 24 Nov. 2025

Mayor-elect Mamdani's plan for the NYPD Mamdani's public safety plan includes creating a $1 billion Department of Community Safety made up of mental health workers who would respond, before NYPD officers, to certain situations involving emotionally disturbed individuals. —Renee Anderson, CBS News, 19 Nov. 2025

However, deteriorating or disturbed lead paint — through sanding or stripping — can create toxic dust that poses serious health hazards, particularly to children. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Rhymes for disturbed

• undisturbed
• unperturbed
• curbed
• perturbed

Kids Definition

disturbed

adjective

dis·​turbed

dis-ˈtərbd

: showing signs of mental or emotional illness

Medical Definition

disturbed

adjective

dis·​turbed dis-ˈtərbd 

1

: experiencing or exhibiting emotional disturbance or agitation : having a mental disability or illness

Emotionally disturbed students over a long period of time and to a marked degree exhibit such characteristics as a general pervasive mood of depression, a tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated with personal or school problems or an inability to learn.

—Rodney Tanaka, San Gabriel Valley (California) Tribune

2

a

: characterized or affected by alteration or disruption

disturbed sleep

b

: departing or deviating from a normal condition : marked by impairment

disturbed glucose metabolism

a disturbed gait