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
This story contains details about a disturbing crime against a child.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
Woke, by contrast, would take a far more disturbing linguistic ride.
—Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
The following story contains details, descriptions and images of violence that may be disturbing to some readers.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Harrison isn't alone in receiving an early colorectal cancer diagnosis despite being healthy and having no family history of the disease — a disturbing and baffling national trend.
—Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 13 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
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Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 13 Nov. 2025
Woke, by contrast, would take a far more disturbing linguistic ride.
—Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
The following story contains details, descriptions and images of violence that may be disturbing to some readers.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 13 Nov. 2025
Harrison isn't alone in receiving an early colorectal cancer diagnosis despite being healthy and having no family history of the disease — a disturbing and baffling national trend.
—Beth Warren, Nashville Tennessean, 13 Nov. 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 19 Nov. 2025.
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