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 of disturbing

• annoying
• frustrating
• irritating

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

The 49-year-old from Carver, Massachusetts is accused of running a dogfighting operation for years; breeding and training dogs for violence and subjecting the animals to disturbing and cruel conditions and punishment. —Juli McDonald, CBS News, 15 Apr. 2026

Cook, without disturbing, until the egg starts to set into fluffy curds, 30 to 45 seconds, then gently stir to distribute. —The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 Apr. 2026

Joyce Carol Oates’s monumental reimagining of Marilyn Monroe’s life remains one of the grittiest and most disturbing novels ever written about celebrity. —Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026

The footage also showed a disturbing rendering of a masked man appearing to attempt a home-invasion-slash-murder. —Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 14 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing disturbing

• disturbing the peace

Rhymes for disturbing

• perturbing
• curbing