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
In his new memoir, Federline is alleging new disturbing details from Sean Preston and Jayden James’ child, as well as critiquing the #FreeBritney movement.
—Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
And that’s great because for almost all of our evolutionary history, and actually for a disturbing number of people still today, getting enough sugar and fat is a problem.
—Big Think, 15 Oct. 2025
The vile, racist, bigoted, and antisemitic dialogue that has been reported is deeply disturbing.
—Emily Chang, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2025
As played by Chernus, Gacy is a disturbing mixture of hard and soft, sometimes icy and terrifying but frequently offering the closest thing to levity in the series.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
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Jennifer Zhan, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2025
And that’s great because for almost all of our evolutionary history, and actually for a disturbing number of people still today, getting enough sugar and fat is a problem.
—Big Think, 15 Oct. 2025
The vile, racist, bigoted, and antisemitic dialogue that has been reported is deeply disturbing.
—Emily Chang, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2025
As played by Chernus, Gacy is a disturbing mixture of hard and soft, sometimes icy and terrifying but frequently offering the closest thing to levity in the series.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 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 23 Oct. 2025.
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