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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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
Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Sophie’s Choice meets Cape Fear meets Greek mythology in this disturbing yuppies-in-peril thriller about a wealthy, respected doctor (Colin Farrell, reuniting with Lanthimos immediately after The Lobster) whose mistakes in the operating theater come back to haunt him.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2025
The horror film takes the world of elite sports to disturbing new extremes, filled with brutal ambition, blood-sucking leeches, and hard-hitting serves.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
Adjective
Gone are the days of hands with an unnerving amount of fingers or a Will Smith clone slurping spaghetti in a manner that can only be described as disturbing.
—Alex Harris, Miami Herald, 29 Oct. 2025
Sophie’s Choice meets Cape Fear meets Greek mythology in this disturbing yuppies-in-peril thriller about a wealthy, respected doctor (Colin Farrell, reuniting with Lanthimos immediately after The Lobster) whose mistakes in the operating theater come back to haunt him.
—A.a. Dowd, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
The absence of zombie worms on these bones suggests that the expanding oxygen minimum zones in the northeast Pacific and elsewhere might be disturbing these ecosystems more broadly.
—Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 29 Oct. 2025
The horror film takes the world of elite sports to disturbing new extremes, filled with brutal ambition, blood-sucking leeches, and hard-hitting serves.
—Leo Barraclough, Variety, 28 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbing
Adjective
-
For Blashill, the Blackhawks’ identity is being really, really annoying.—
Mark Lazerus,
New York Times,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Sharon is extremely annoying, but my heart does break for her a tiny bit here.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
During Dallas' embarrassing 27-17 home loss to the Cardinals, legendary Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman took a shot at his former team during the broadcast and didn't think Dallas should even bother swinging a trade.—
Matthew Schmidt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Cuomo’s long resume and nostalgic campaign has kept his support steady despite an embarrassing primary defeat by Mamdani.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Adjective
-
Rather, the Lamb baby is literally the face of a lamb and the body of a human child, which is unsettling in a wholly novel way.—
Dennis Perkins,
Entertainment Weekly,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The problem is that among the general public, the optics are unsettling.—
David Hill,
Rolling Stone,
31 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Rather than offering peace of mind from pest invasion, the chemical control process often leaves families feeling uneasy about what has been introduced so indiscriminately into their environment.—
Malana VanTyler,
USA Today,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Cuomo led early polls, buoyed by name recognition and a coalition of moderate Democrats uneasy with the party’s leftward drift.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
This isn’t in itself alarming in the moment, though such a narrow market often works against the duration of an advance.—
Michael Santoli,
CNBC,
29 Oct. 2025
-
In a city home to the world’s largest Jewish population outside Israel, Mamdani’s message has struck sharply different chords, galvanizing left-leaning activists while alarming many Jewish voters who view his words as inflammatory.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
27 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The robot vacuum has 8,000Pa suction and a multidirectional floating roller brush with rubber and bristles, which does an excellent job of removing dust and debris from carpets.—
Terri Williams,
Architectural Digest,
3 Nov. 2025
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But whereas many abundance advocates typically talk about removing government impediments to growth, such as zoning restrictions, Rodrik focusses on government interventions.—
John Cassidy,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
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And that crackdown is disrupting the global remittance market.—
NPR,
NPR,
29 Oct. 2025
-
This prevents stray heat from disrupting the atoms’ oscillations.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
If something’s bothering you, say so.—
James Parker,
The Atlantic,
28 Oct. 2025
-
Saft, not bothering to remove his sneakers, leaped onto a chair to place an ornate gold mirror over the mantelpiece.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbing. Accessed 7 Nov. 2025.
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