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
Bram Stoker
disturbingly
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
Jonathan Raban
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 lack of caring about my childhood was so disturbing.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2025
Instead, this is yet another disturbing reminder that our society values certain lives more than others.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Furthermore, there is often an undercurrent of mysticism surrounding the egg, with birth and death at the center—a dualism as true as it is sometimes disturbing.
—Irene Coltrinari, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2025
Backlit against pristine white, the display is both beautiful and disturbing, with a simple yet powerful message on the adjacent wall: Drinking water shouldn’t have color.
—Megan Bruneau, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
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Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 28 Apr. 2025
Instead, this is yet another disturbing reminder that our society values certain lives more than others.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Apr. 2025
Furthermore, there is often an undercurrent of mysticism surrounding the egg, with birth and death at the center—a dualism as true as it is sometimes disturbing.
—Irene Coltrinari, Vogue, 25 Apr. 2025
Backlit against pristine white, the display is both beautiful and disturbing, with a simple yet powerful message on the adjacent wall: Drinking water shouldn’t have color.
—Megan Bruneau, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
Cite this Entry
“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disturbing. Accessed 6 May. 2025.
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