disturbing

adjective

dis·​turb·​ing di-ˈstər-biŋ How to pronounce disturbing (audio)
: causing feelings of worry, concern, or anxiety
disturbing news
a disturbing discovery
The next phase in which I had a part was even more disturbing, and infinitely more painful.Bram Stoker
disturbingly adverb
disturbingly high levels of pollution
a disturbingly familiar problem
… the texture of ordinary life and talk has taken on a disturbingly ambiguous quality … Jonathan Raban

Examples of disturbing in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web But even when it was first introduced in 2021, extensive reporting by CNN had shown a disturbing increase in beatings, evictions, and harassment of LGBTQ Ghanaians. David McKenzie, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 If the music were more somber, people would realize the images are disturbing and the song heretical. . . . Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Microsoft ran into a sticky situation last month when reports surfaced that its Copilot chatbot was generating harmful and disturbing responses. Susan Howson, Quartz, 9 Mar. 2024 One of the most disturbing aspects of The Downward Spiral comes from the disembodied voices that cut across the songs. Adam Steiner, SPIN, 8 Mar. 2024 And then last month came another disturbing disclosure. Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 7 Mar. 2024 Steadman Stahl, president of the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, the union representing the department’s officers, said any arrest of an officer is disturbing. Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 Her bald head opens at the back to unveil a disturbing metal cap that hides the whirring mechanics within her skull. Matthew Strauss, Pitchfork, 29 Feb. 2024 By Massimo Calabresi February 29, 2024 6:00 AM EST On the afternoon of Sept. 27, a Balkans expert at the White House got a disturbing call from a U.S. intelligence agency. TIME, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disturbing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disturbing was in 1594

Dictionary Entries Near disturbing

Cite this Entry

“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disturbing. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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