disturb

verb

dis·​turb di-ˈstərb 

disturbed; disturbing; disturbs

transitive verb

1

a

: to interfere with : interrupt

disturbing the flow of traffic

b

: to alter the position or arrangement of

the items on her desk had been disturbed

c

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

wetlands disturbed by development

2

a

: to destroy the tranquility or composure of

The noisy lawnmower disturbed their sleep.

was disturbed by his bizarre behavior

b

: to throw into disorder

disturbing our routine

c

: alarm

trying not to disturb the sleeping dogs

d

: 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

Synonyms

• agitate
• ail
• alarm
• alarum
• bother
• concern
• derail
• discomfort
• discompose
• dismay
• disquiet
• distemper
• distract
• distress
• exercise
• flurry
• frazzle
• freak (out)
• fuss
• hagride
• perturb
• undo
• unhinge
• unsettle
• upset
• weird out
• worry

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

Examples of disturb in a Sentence

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

The past half year has seen a steady stream of disturbing reports about serious human rights abuses tied to industrial fishing. —Ian Urbina, TIME, 1 Apr. 2024

Giving birth is believed to disturb the body’s equilibrium, so new mothers traditionally engage in zuo yue zi, or thirty to forty days of rest at home, pampered by family. —Clarissa Wei, The New Yorker, 23 Mar. 2024

The body’s internal environment is rich in fluids that are disturbed by the heart’s constant mechanical motion. —Pengju Li, Discover Magazine, 23 Mar. 2024

And the line of questioning on the stand that Avenatti was engaging in with her really disturbed me. —Ej Dickson, Rolling Stone, 18 Mar. 2024

Biden inner circle rallies around Jill Biden’s ‘work husband’ plagued by disturbing claims. —Fox News, 18 Mar. 2024

The shifting sands of human politics, economics and more continue to disturb these bones more than did the intervening 80 million years since some last strode the earth. —Dennis Harvey, Variety, 18 Mar. 2024

But the lower court denied the state’s request to block Border Patrol agents from accessing the international border or disturbing the barrier while the litigation continued. —Ann E. Marimow, Washington Post, 12 Mar. 2024

The plot involves an encounter during which a burglar is disturbed by the homeowner, Julyan said. —Christopher Kuo, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024

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

Phrases Containing disturb

• disturb the peace

Kids Definition

disturb

verb

dis·​turb dis-ˈtərb 

1

a

: to interfere with : interrupt

b

: to change the position, arrangement, or stability of

2

a

: to trouble the mind of : make uneasy

b

: to throw into confusion or disorder

c

: to cause bother to

disturber noun

Legal Definition

disturb

transitive verb

dis·​turb

1

: to destroy the tranquility or composure of

2

: to throw into disorder

intransitive verb

: to cause disturbance