disturbing 1 of 2

adjective

di-ˈstər-biŋ How to pronounce disturbing (audio)
Definition of disturbingnext
1
as in annoying
causing annoyance a disturbing visit by the next-door neighbor while I was trying to study

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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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disturbing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of disturb
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 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 disturbing
Adjective
And so the disturbing part of the dissent in the mail ballot case was that this was about a very narrow issue, whether ballots that are postmarked by Election Day can be counted if they're received in some period after. — Tonya Mosley, NPR, 8 July 2026 The film is a modern take on creature horror movies told from the perspective of a young boy who slowly begins to discover his beloved parents are hiding a disturbing secret about his mother’s true nature. — Justin Kroll, Deadline, 7 July 2026
Verb
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 See All Example Sentences for disturbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbing
  1. annoying
  2. embarrassing
  3. unsettling
  4. uneasy
  5. alarming
  6. removing
  7. disrupting
  8. bothering
Adjective
  • This is a realm of exposition-heavy opening credits, relentlessly earwormy theme tunes, and heroes who, for no obvious reason, choose to hang out with cute/annoying [delete as appropriate] comedy sidekicks like Orko and Snarf.
    — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 5 July 2026
  • This would have evoked annoying memories of the 0-0 draw against Morocco in 2022 and 1-1 draw with Russia in 2018 for Spain.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 5 July 2026
Definition of annoying
Adjective
  • Saying as much, then visibly tightening that process with its haulage partners, is how an embarrassing accident becomes evidence that someone is actually minding the shop.
    — Alexander Puutio, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • The embarrassing display was especially difficult for the scores of young performers who had been at the show’s lavish world premiere in Los Angeles just weeks before and who had considered the project their big break.
    — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 10 July 2026
Definition of embarrassing
Adjective
  • After all, Against Nature is all about the unsettling atmosphere and the senses.
    — Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 4 July 2026
  • Seeking a fresh start, Ellie moves into a house on Delaney Row hoping to leave her troubled past behind, only to discover that her new home is steeped in dark secrets and unsettling mysteries.
    — Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 3 July 2026
Definition of unsettling
Adjective
  • But as mainstream coverage of looksmaxxing continues and people like Clavicular are platformed by the fashion establishment, professionals across the beauty ecosystem are still uneasy.
    — Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 15 July 2026
  • Politics and sport have always been uneasy bedfellows, but until recently referees and other sport officials have rarely been dragged into the public discourse.
    — Graham Scott, New York Times, 9 July 2026
Definition of uneasy
Verb
  • So, even just the unusual presence of an aircraft in this area made this incident alarming for one resident, Anna, who spoke to CNN near the scene.
    — Steven Jiang, CNN Money, 26 June 2026
  • 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.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 25 June 2026
Definition of alarming
Verb
  • The damage uncovered Contractors discovered the extent of the deterioration in January after removing tile and black mastic from Aviator’s kitchen floor.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • The second, the critic, checks whether the scene looks realistic and suggests improvements, such as removing objects that do not belong in a particular room.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 14 July 2026
Definition of removing
Verb
  • Large fires in southern France have already scorched thousands of hectares (acres) since last week, disrupting the Tour de France cycling race and stretching firefighting resources.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
  • Rufus the hawk handles deterring the pigeons from disrupting play by eating grass seed.
    — Nick Pachelli, Time, 11 July 2026
Definition of disrupting
Verb
  • Travis was snapped having a blast bothering Jason as the duo attended a match between Jupiter Links GC and The Bay Golf Club at SoFi Center on March 3.
    — Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 2 July 2026
  • For now, the Royals hope to figure out exactly what’s bothering him.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 1 July 2026
Definition of bothering

Browse Nearby Words

disturbers
disturbing
disturbingly
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Cite this Entry

“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbing. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on disturbing

Nglish: Translation of disturbing for Spanish Speakers

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