DISTURB Synonyms: 273 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'disturb' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of disturb are agitate , discompose , disquiet , fluster , perturb , and upset . While all these words mean "to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action," disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption. // the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

Q: When is it sensible to use 'agitate' instead of 'disturb'?

In some situations, the words agitate and disturb are roughly equivalent. However, agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement. // in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

Q: When is 'discompose' a more appropriate choice than 'disturb'?

The synonyms discompose and disturb are sometimes interchangeable, but discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress. // discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

Q: When can 'disquiet' be used instead of 'disturb'?

The meanings of disquiet and disturb largely overlap; however, disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind. // the disquieting news of factories closing

Q: When would 'fluster' be a good substitute for 'disturb'?

While the synonyms fluster and disturb are close in meaning, fluster suggests bewildered agitation. // his declaration of love completely flustered her

Q: When could 'perturb' be used to replace 'disturb'?

Although the words perturb and disturb have much in common, perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions. // perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

Q: In what contexts can 'upset' take the place of 'disturb'?

The words upset and disturb can be used in similar contexts, but upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief. // the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

disturb

verb

di-ˈstərb

Definition of disturb

as in to bother

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy all that talk of war disturbed us

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to remove

to change the place or position of the items on her desk had been disturbed by someone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to disrupt

to undo the proper order or arrangement of her careful filing system is sure to be disturbed during the move

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to worry

to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation sorry to disturb you while you're working

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to weigh

to cause discomfort to or trouble for please do not disturb yourself—I'll get my own drink

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disturb contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of disturb are agitate, discompose, disquiet, fluster, perturb, and upset. While all these words mean "to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action," disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

When is it sensible to use agitate instead of disturb?

In some situations, the words agitate and disturb are roughly equivalent. However, agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

When is discompose a more appropriate choice than disturb?

The synonyms discompose and disturb are sometimes interchangeable, but discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

When can disquiet be used instead of disturb?

The meanings of disquiet and disturb largely overlap; however, disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

When would fluster be a good substitute for disturb?

While the synonyms fluster and disturb are close in meaning, fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

When could perturb be used to replace disturb?

Although the words perturb and disturb have much in common, perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

In what contexts can upset take the place of disturb?

The words upset and disturb can be used in similar contexts, but upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of disturb Soak the seeds in warm water overnight to soften them and speed up germination, and sow them directly into the soil to avoid disturbing the sensitive taproot. — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 10 July 2026 The officer wrote that Gatz had been living in the area for several months and was disturbing the surrounding vegetation. — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 7 July 2026 Platner has faced multiple allegations of reckless and drunken behavior and disturbing behavior toward women since launching his campaign in August. — Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026 To disturb one element of this landscape would prevent the whole from doing, thinking, feeling, being. — Angelica Calabrese, Longreads, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for disturb

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturb

Verb

The tequila shrimp empanadas disappear quickly, while the huitlacoche quesadilla folds Oaxaca cheese, mushrooms, roasted corn, and salsa macha crema into something deeper and earthier than most Midtown menus bother attempting.

— Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 13 July 2026
Maybe altering the letters bothered her most because publication inevitably makes the integrity of a letter—the message from writer to recipient—secondary.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 July 2026

Definition of bother

Verb

Hanaway’s office filed a petition to remove Johnston from office, alleging misconduct, according to a news release from the attorney general’s office.

— Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026
The star’s daughter Zahara, 21, and son Maddox, 24, are both seeking to remove Pitt from their legal names, according to court documents filed in California.

— Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 16 July 2026

Definition of remove

Verb

The escalating standoff comes as the fragile truce reached last month has fractured, once again disrupting energy flows through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles around 20% of the world's oil traffic.

— Sam Meredith,Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 17 July 2026
Yanbu has become even more important during the war, serving as Saudi Arabia’s main crude export outlet as traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely disrupted.

— Brad Lendon, CNN Money, 17 July 2026

Definition of disrupt

Verb

Public polls have shown him with an early lead over Collins, and key Republicans worry about their chances in what was once seen as one of the GOP’s best pickup opportunities.

— Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 15 July 2026
Later, Feinmann said his words were not directed at the Mexican people — while musing that Sheinbaum had bigger things to worry about, like combating narco-trafficking, violence and corruption.

— Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times, 15 July 2026

Definition of worry

Verb

Lawmakers are also weighing a Russia sanctions bill that Graham championed, with some Republicans pushing to rename the bill in his honor and advance it this week.

— Brittney Melton, NPR, 13 July 2026
Twenty years has seen road bikes hit the 200-plus horsepower mark (310 for the H2R), and the Destroyer made 165 horses and weighed about 110 pounds more.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 13 July 2026

Definition of weigh

Verb

Roschelle had seemed distracted lately, going to a bunch of doctors’ appointments, talking to Sapphire late at night.

— Jessica Contrera, New Yorker, 13 July 2026
During a recent concert where Graham Nash was speaking his mind about needless wars and his belief that the president started a war with Iran to distract from the Epstein files, someone in the audience yelled out.

— Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026

Definition of distract

Verb

In Ningde in Fujian province, more than 3,700 people were relocated from high-risk onshore areas as of Friday evening, Xinhua said.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 July 2026
Shanghai, also on China’s eastern coast, relocated around 34,000 residents from high-risk areas by Saturday noon, according to Xinhua.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 July 2026

Definition of relocate

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distrusts

disturb

disturbance

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“Disturb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturb. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of disturb

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