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

• 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

Not sure what’s funnier and more disturbing, Sweet Tooth’s urine test coming back as a black goo, or Axel not allowing a blood sample, presumably because his blood is gasoline. —Rafael Motamayor, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2025

In the spring, Linda appeared in a disturbing social media video lifting the lid on the dysfunction in the family. —Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 13 Aug. 2025

Editor's note: This story contains graphic images that may be disturbing to some viewers. —Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025

Pound away at the disturbing underbelly that AI lies and makes things up. —Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for disturbing

• perturbing
• curbing