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
Ashley Paul, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Panna Udvardy and Lucrezia Stefanini detailed the disturbing messages in which they and their families were threatened.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2026
But in this age of instant communication, the Los Angeles Kings’ head coach and team captain quickly were brought up to speed with disturbing news.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
Adjective
Michael Holmes says this video is especially disturbing.
—Ashley Paul, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2026
Panna Udvardy and Lucrezia Stefanini detailed the disturbing messages in which they and their families were threatened.
—Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 7 Mar. 2026
Verb
Gardeners and landscapers alike use them to keep unwanted plants at bay without disturbing their beloved greenery.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 20 Feb. 2026
But in this age of instant communication, the Los Angeles Kings’ head coach and team captain quickly were brought up to speed with disturbing news.
—Eric Stephens, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbing
Adjective
-
Highs come across with sharpness that doesn't stray toward annoying, and the mids are surprisingly full.—
Eric Zeman,
PC Magazine,
9 Mar. 2026
-
There’s still housing, meals, books and annoying fees.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
To be honest, even with the public spectacle of a trial now taken off CAA’s plate, most of Musero’s case had been trimmed back in June last year (see below), so a lot of what could have taken place on the record and in public would have been somewhere between embarrassing and performative.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
10 Mar. 2026
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The reasons for this cautious response are many, ranging from the precarious diplomatic implications of the conflict, disruptions to its energy security, and the embarrassing implications of allowing an ally to be destroyed.—
Timothy Nerozzi,
The Washington Examiner,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Baltimore City Office of the Inspector General released an unsettling report about spending from the mayor’s office over a three-and-a-half-year period (July 2022 through November 2025).—
Torrey Snow,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Key themes in her work include environmental catastrophe, belief, and the strange and unsettling aspects of human life.—
Joy Williams,
The Dial,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Many travelers feel 'uneasy' about going abroad.—
Kathleen Wong,
USA Today,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The United States and Israel’s widening war with Iran has stricken an already uneasy global economy with a new bout of uncertainty.—
Mirtha Donastorg,
AJC.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Recently, something new appeared on the landscape, alarming wildlife advocates like Christina Aiello.—
Lila Seidman,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
-
After her husband took her pets out of the room, Bloor then faced the even more delicate task of safely removing herself from the bed without alarming the snake.—
Phil Boucher,
PEOPLE,
16 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
When removing the 3% annual increase cities and counties were already allowed, the cap amounted to a 5% budget increase from growth.—
Mark Dee
March 6,
Idaho Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
-
There are several organic methods for removing these persistent weeds, and some are more effective than others.—
Alexandra Jones,
The Spruce,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The beams would be far brighter than the full moon and, even if carefully pointed, would scatter in the atmosphere to be very bright off-beam, disrupting wildlife and effectively destroying the sky’s remaining natural beauty by erasing the stars from our sight.—
Phil Plait,
Scientific American,
6 Mar. 2026
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Then, last summer, LA became the first major US city to face large-scale ICE raids, stoking fear among undocumented immigrants and disrupting the restaurant workforce.—
Emily Wilson,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Mass incarceration has led to a fast-growing bloc of citizens who either are legally barred from voting or have just stopped bothering.—
Kevin B. Smith,
The Conversation,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Stop bothering me with things that don’t make sense.—
Nick Canepa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbing. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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