1
as in annoying
causing annoyance
a disturbing visit by the next-door neighbor while I was trying to study
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Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in embarrassing
causing embarrassment
there was a disturbing silence as I struggled to remember her name
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3
as in unsettling
causing worry or anxiety
a disturbing trend in the nation's energy consumption
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4
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
a disturbing pause in the normally smooth operation of the machinery
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1
as in alarming
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
all that talk of war disturbed us
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2
as in removing
to change the place or position of
the items on her desk had been disturbed by someone
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3
as in disrupting
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
her careful filing system is sure to be disturbed during the move
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4
as in bothering
to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation
sorry to disturb you while you're working
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5
as in troubling
to cause discomfort to or trouble for
please do not disturb yourself—I'll get my own drink
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of disturbing
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
17 June 2026
Bloody, disturbing, shocking, and entertaining as hell, the Ghost Ship opening couldn’t be any more different from the absolute slog that follows it, climaxing on a muddled and overly complicated ending.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Skyler Shepard,
Sun Sentinel,
15 June 2026
Romantic from the first frame to the last, Park Chan-wook's 2022 masterpiece is a culmination of his steady and coherent approach to disturbing characters and his love for Hitchcock.
—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
Adjective
Here's everything to know about the disturbing details left out of Maternal Instinct.
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Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
17 June 2026
Bloody, disturbing, shocking, and entertaining as hell, the Ghost Ship opening couldn’t be any more different from the absolute slog that follows it, climaxing on a muddled and overly complicated ending.
—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Verb
At the news conference, Uthmeier said his office uncovered disturbing material during its investigation.
—
Skyler Shepard,
Sun Sentinel,
15 June 2026
Romantic from the first frame to the last, Park Chan-wook's 2022 masterpiece is a culmination of his steady and coherent approach to disturbing characters and his love for Hitchcock.
—
Eric Farwell,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbing
Adjective
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Scam texts are annoying for everyone.
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Others have blamed everything from feminism and long work commutes to annoying kiddy car seats.
Adjective
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Every year, the Heart Rate Challenge is one of the most embarrassing rituals this show puts the Islanders through.
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Boise’s rough end to May stretched into June, and the first-year club left Madison, Wisconsin, last week surrendering four unanswered goals in the second half for an embarrassing loss.
Adjective
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The New York Times reported that multiple women who once dated Platner described the Maine oysterman’s behavior as intimidating and unsettling.
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This move, by a native of the attention economy, signals a growing trend of users actively disengaging, unsettling consumer investors.
Adjective
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As the nation gears up to celebrate its 250th birthday, most Americans feel uneasy about their present, and pessimistic about their future, polls show.
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Sanders takes an uneasy step, into his wonderful, painful childhood.
Verb
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At the same time, the state’s spending keeps growing quickly as well, alarming the Legislative Analyst’s Office, which advises the Legislature on fiscal matters.
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The 2023 property tax valuation cycle — and to a lesser extent, the 2024 and 2025 cycles — have been the subject of widespread outrage in Jackson County, with skyrocketing property values alarming homeowners and business owners alike.
Verb
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Crews are focusing on the 15 feet along the roadsides, trimming trees that are still alive to help prevent fire from laddering into the crowns and removing dead trees.
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In fact, according to Rakestraw, one of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is assuming the babies have been abandoned and removing them immediately.
Verb
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The knock-on effect is a shortage of fuel and munitions for Russian frontline troops in southern Ukraine, further disrupting Russian President Vladimir Putin’s wartime goals.
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People attending the trial would also be prohibited from reacting, gesturing, wearing distracting clothing, or otherwise disrupting proceedings.
Verb
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That shift may help explain why some couples notice their partner’s scent bothering them more during periods of conflict.
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The chest pain that had been bothering her finally let up.
Cite this Entry
“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbing. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
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