disturbance

American  

[dih-stur-buhns] / dɪˈstɜr bəns /

noun

• disturbances
  plural

1. the act of disturbing.

2. the state of being disturbed.

   Synonyms:

   confusion, perturbation

3. an instance of this; commotion.

   Antonyms:

   order

4. something that disturbs.

5. an outbreak of disorder; a breach of public peace.

   Political disturbances shook the city.

   Synonyms:

   riot, tumult, confusion

6. Meteorology. any cyclonic storm or low-pressure area, usually a small one.

7. Geology. a crustal movement of moderate intensity, somewhat restricted in area.

---

disturbance British  

/ dɪˈstɜːbəns /

noun

1. the act of disturbing or the state of being disturbed

2. an interruption or intrusion

3. an unruly outburst or tumult

4. law an interference with another's rights

5. geology

   1. a minor movement of the earth causing a small earthquake

   2. a minor mountain-building event

6. meteorol a small depression

7. psychiatry a mental or emotional disorder

---

Synonym Usage

See agitation. See disorder.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondisturbance
  noun
• predisturbance
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• disturbances
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of disturbance

1250–1300; Middle English disto ( u ) rbance < Anglo-French, Old French. See disturb, -ance

---

Explanation

A disturbance is a noisy commotion that causes a hubbub or interruption. It can also be a worried mental state. In hotels, people put up "Do not disturb" signs when they want to be left alone. That's a good clue to what a disturbance is: something, usually noisy or rowdy, that bothers people. An audience member yelling during a piano concert would be a disturbance. Disturbances can also be interruptions, like a disturbance in cable service when the cable goes out. Disturbances can also be mental: if you're worried or anxious, that's a type of internal disturbance.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

disturbance disturbances

Interior Minister Laurent Nunez had warned that authorities "will not tolerate any violence or any disturbance of public order."

From Barron's ● Oct. 24, 2026

According to the report, the disturbance interfered with railway signals in Exeter and delayed the scheduled 10:05 p.m. train departure by 16 minutes.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026

The disturbance also triggered waves of new star formation.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026

"It's the result of concerted and ongoing efforts to keep disturbance of the seal colony to a minimum," Churn said.

From BBC ● Oct. 18, 2026

Reporters across the nation quoted experts on the connection between spirit belief and mental disturbance.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

The results suggest that the conventional mathematical descriptions of the expanding universe are vulnerable to disturbances that grow rather than fade.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026

Radial perturbations are disturbances that change with distance from a central point.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026

There are pictures of the disturbances following the 2015 death of Freddie Gray and a gallery set up as a room in a black home with pictures on the wall and a running television program.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2026

Early railway operators were beginning to rely on telegraph systems, creating new opportunities for solar disturbances to interfere with essential infrastructure.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026

De­spite our vigilance, Dr. Atal, the zoo veterinarian, could tell by the number of animals with digestive disturbances which had been the busy days at the zoo.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---

Related Words

• brawl
• confusion
• disorder
• disruption
• eruption
• explosion
• fracas
• interruption
• riot
• shock
• storm
• tremor
• turmoil
• upheaval
• uprising
• violence

---