disturb

verb

dis·​turb di-ˈstərb 

disturbed; disturbing; disturbs

transitive verb

1

a

: to interfere with : interrupt

disturbing the flow of traffic

b

: to alter the position or arrangement of

the items on her desk had been disturbed

c

: to upset the natural and especially the ecological balance or relations of

wetlands disturbed by development

2

a

: to destroy the tranquility or composure of

The noisy lawnmower disturbed their sleep.

was disturbed by his bizarre behavior

b

: to throw into disorder

disturbing our routine

c

: alarm

trying not to disturb the sleeping dogs

d

: to put to inconvenience

sorry to disturb you at such a late hour

intransitive verb

: to cause disturbance

disturber noun

disturbingly

di-ˈstər-biŋ-lē 

adverb

Synonyms of disturb

• bother
• distract
• worry
• alarm
• concern
• unsettle
• agitate
• annoy
• perturb
• upset

Choose the Right Synonym for disturb

discompose, disquiet, disturb, perturb, agitate, upset, fluster mean to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action.

discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

Examples of disturb in a Sentence

I'm sorry to disturb you at such a late hour.

She doesn't want to be disturbed while she's working.

Don't disturb the baby when he's sleeping.

The noise disturbed my concentration.

Recent Examples on the Web

With their special technology, the cameras can take high-quality videos of animals at night without disturbing them. —Charles Seabrook, AJC.com, 7 Feb. 2026

That the president remains fixated on this conspiracy theory, rather than tending to his job as the leader of the most powerful institution on the planet, should disturb anyone who wants America to remain a free and prosperous nation. —The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 7 Feb. 2026

This crop includes disturbing photos and emails involving both Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson. —Rachel Burchfield, InStyle, 5 Feb. 2026

But soon after, she’s disturbed to discover that kids lost to gun violence — including the shooters — are being cloned and reunited with their families, often to be eliminated again in the next school shooting. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 5 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English disturben, destourben, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French destorber, from Latin disturbare, from dis- + turbare to throw into disorder, from turba disorder — more at turbid

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing disturb

• disturb the peace

Rhymes for disturb

• perturb
• reverb
• superb
• blurb
• curb
• erb
• herb
• kerb
• serb
• verb

Kids Definition

disturb

verb

dis·​turb dis-ˈtərb 

1

a

: to interfere with : interrupt

b

: to change the position, arrangement, or stability of

2

a

: to trouble the mind of : make uneasy

b

: to throw into confusion or disorder

c

: to cause bother to

disturber noun

Legal Definition

disturb

transitive verb

dis·​turb

1

: to destroy the tranquility or composure of

2

: to throw into disorder

intransitive verb

: to cause disturbance