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
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Recent Examples of disturbing
Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Equal parts hilarious and disturbing (puberty in a nutshell), Polinger melds body horror with a razor-sharp insight into the subconscious psyche of adolescence.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2025
Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2025
Alexander Paul Robertson Lewis, 32, was arrested Friday and charged with disturbing schools and malicious injury to property, the Florence County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
Adjective
The following story contains details, descriptions and/or images of violence that may be disturbing to some readers.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 1 Oct. 2025
Equal parts hilarious and disturbing (puberty in a nutshell), Polinger melds body horror with a razor-sharp insight into the subconscious psyche of adolescence.
—Christian Blauvelt, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2025
Verb
Lewis was arrested on Friday on charges of disturbing schools and malicious injury to property with a value of over $10,000, the sheriff's office said.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2025
Alexander Paul Robertson Lewis, 32, was arrested Friday and charged with disturbing schools and malicious injury to property, the Florence County Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
—Minyvonne Burke, NBC news, 23 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbing
Adjective
-
Frankie Montas Montas is slated to miss all of next season, and so his $17 million player option is easier than any decision in those annoying Capital One ads.—
Tim Britton,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
There was one distraction during the number when the director made their performance look like a TikTok video, complete with a stream of annoying comments to the left of Leavitt’s tush.—
Lynette Rice,
Deadline,
30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Each side in this debate has to deal with an embarrassing fact.—
Nina Totenberg,
NPR,
7 Oct. 2025
-
If the Yankees cannot shrug off the 2-0 series deficit, then Boone could be in hot water, especially with the pair of embarrassing losses to the Blue Jays.—
Hunter Mulholland,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Toxic masculinity, of both the younger and older varieties, are on unsettling display in Alejandro Castro Arias’ debut feature, which recently received its world premiere at the Oldenburg International Film Festival.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
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The news has prompted fears that the services will drive down prices, unsettling local tour operators in Kenya where the tourism sector accounts for 10% of the country’s GDP and employs more than a million people, many working in the safari tours space.—
Martin K.N Siele,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Still, when her mom asks if Paul and his kids can come on the birthday trip, the woman feels uneasy.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
1 Oct. 2025
-
The loss of data arrived during an uneasy period for policymakers.—
Max Zahn,
ABC News,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Browning has thrown eight interceptions in four starts, which was alarming enough for the Bengals to make a move.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
-
But also alarming is that government officials don’t seem to take seriously the need to justify the reasons for their use of force, which should only be wielded to protect the rights of Americans.—
Agustina Vergara Cid,
Oc Register,
22 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But the building feels temporary, with United having previously discussed removing it.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
More than 200 bodies are still on the mountain, left there because of the difficulty, risk, and cost of removing them, the database says.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Ride-hailing giants Uber and Bolt are disrupting Kenya’s lucrative safari market with new services that are driving fears of price cuts among traditional tour operators.—
Martin K.N Siele,
semafor.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Cuban founded Cost Plus Drugs, a similar direct-to-consumer (DTC) platform, in 2022 with the goal of disrupting the health care industry.—
Sasha Rogelberg,
Fortune,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The dog recognizes that something is amiss, but isn’t capable of understanding what’s really bothering Todd.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
-
The injury that will sideline Herro to begin this season is one that had been bothering him for a few months.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbing. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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