disturbing

1 causing annoyance a disturbing visit by the next-door neighbor while I was trying to study Synonyms abrasive, aggravating, bothersome, carking, chafing, annoying, exasperating, frustrating, galling, irksome, irritating, maddening, nettlesome, nettling, peeving, pesky, pestiferous, pestilent, pestilential, pesty, plaguey (also plaguy), rankling, rebarbative, riling, vexatious, vexingRelated Words burdensome, discomforting, displeasing, disquieting, distressing, importunate, importune, inconveniencing; angering, enraging, infuriating; brattish, bratty, mischievous, offensive, troublesome, upsetting; distractive, painful, stressful, tiresome, troubling, trying, worrisome; biting, grating, jangling, jarring, spiny, thornyNear Antonyms delightful, pleasing

2 causing embarrassment there was a disturbing silence as I struggled to remember her name Synonyms discomfiting, disconcerting, awkward, embarrassing, flustering, uncomfortableRelated Words confusing, difficult, disagreeable, impossible, inconvenient, intolerable, troublesome, unpleasant, unwieldy; unsettling; debasing, degrading, demeaning, humbling, humiliating, mortifyingNear Antonyms agreeable, comfortable, convenient, pleasing

3 causing worry or anxiety a disturbing trend in the nation's energy consumption Synonyms discomforting, discomposing, disquieting, distressing, troublesome, nagging, nasty, perturbing, troubling, troublous, unsettling, upsetting, worrisomeRelated Words daunting, demoralizing, discomfiting, disconcerting, discouraging, disheartening, dismaying, dispiriting; chilling, frightening, scary; harassing, persecutive, persecutory; alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearful, fearsome, forbidding, formidable, frightening, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, intimidating, scary, shocking, terrible, terrifyingNear Antonyms calming, quieting, settling, soothing; comforting, consoling, dreamy, inviting, lulling, narcotic, pacifying, relaxing, sedative, tranquilizing (also tranquillizing)Antonyms reassuring

4 marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings a disturbing pause in the normally smooth operation of the machinery Synonyms agitating, anxious, creepy, disquieting, distressful, distressing, nervous, fraught, hairy, nail-biting, nerve-racking (or nerve-wracking), restless, tense, uneasy, unnerving, unsettling, worrisomeRelated Words bothersome, troublesome; foreboding, misgiving; discouraging, disheartening, strained; restive, restless, unrestful; awkward, embarrassingNear Antonyms restful; pacificAntonyms calming, comfortable, easy, peaceful, quiet, quieting, tranquil