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
And in the process, the actors revealed their worst audition stories, most disturbing fan encounters, and more that will give you chills.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
This story contains details of a violent crime that some readers may find disturbing.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
The novella’s extraordinary version of the eternal triangle is rather disturbing.
—Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
Each recipe is no longer than a tidy paragraph, with an odd mix of black-and-white and color images (there’s a slightly disturbing paper mache bunny in there, but that’s OK), and a few step-by-step tutorials, too.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 7 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
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Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Dec. 2025
This story contains details of a violent crime that some readers may find disturbing.
—Amanda Lee Myers, USA Today, 10 Dec. 2025
The novella’s extraordinary version of the eternal triangle is rather disturbing.
—Literary Hub, 9 Dec. 2025
Each recipe is no longer than a tidy paragraph, with an odd mix of black-and-white and color images (there’s a slightly disturbing paper mache bunny in there, but that’s OK), and a few step-by-step tutorials, too.
—Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 7 Dec. 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 14 Dec. 2025.
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