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 graphic descriptions that some readers may find disturbing.
—Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
Trilogy is disturbing and alluring, with its ghostly production and chillingly misanthropic undercurrent.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
According to The Marshall Project, federal officers fired on at least nine people in their vehicles over a four-month period, evidence of a disturbing pattern.
—Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
Zhang was quickly identified as a suspect based on her allegedly increasingly disturbing behavior, according to authorities.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
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Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 14 Jan. 2026
Trilogy is disturbing and alluring, with its ghostly production and chillingly misanthropic undercurrent.
—Literary Hub, 14 Jan. 2026
According to The Marshall Project, federal officers fired on at least nine people in their vehicles over a four-month period, evidence of a disturbing pattern.
—Chicago Tribune, 12 Jan. 2026
Zhang was quickly identified as a suspect based on her allegedly increasingly disturbing behavior, according to authorities.
—Nate Gartrell, Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
Cite this Entry
“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disturbing. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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