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
But once one imagines this giant, disturbing, absurd pest as the size of a toddler, much of his behavior starts to look toddlerlike, from his fumbling to learn gross motor coordination to his pickiness about meals and his desire to hang from the ceiling.
—Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell — who has been entangled in multiple legal battles regarding trespassers targeting his private beachfront property in Florida over the past year — continues to receive disturbing threats from other members of the community against him and his family.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
However, a disturbing pattern of intentional attacks on the animals that began in June has continued this year, authorities said.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Getting death threats was not character-building, not some little online brouhaha, but psychologically disturbing in a way that spilled over into her offline life.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
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Christine Smallwood, Harpers Magazine, 24 Mar. 2026
Backstreet Boys member Brian Littrell — who has been entangled in multiple legal battles regarding trespassers targeting his private beachfront property in Florida over the past year — continues to receive disturbing threats from other members of the community against him and his family.
—Christina Dugan Ramirez , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
However, a disturbing pattern of intentional attacks on the animals that began in June has continued this year, authorities said.
—Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar. 2026
Getting death threats was not character-building, not some little online brouhaha, but psychologically disturbing in a way that spilled over into her offline life.
—Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 22 Mar. 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 28 Mar. 2026.
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