disturbed
Americanadjective
-
marked by symptoms of mental illness.
a disturbed personality.
-
agitated or distressed; disrupted.
disturbed seas; a disturbed situation.
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of disturbed
Explanation
If something is disturbed, it's been moved or changed — it's not positioned or functioning the way it usually does. Traveling across the globe gives many people disturbed sleep patterns. If your younger brother has been snooping in your room, the only evidence might be the disturbed items on your desk — maybe he rifled through your diary and left it in a different spot. When people are described as disturbed, it means they're troubled emotionally. The word comes from the Latin disturbare, "throw into disorder," and its root turba, "turmoil."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
US media described the male suspect as emotionally disturbed with no terror links.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
After moving himself down a place to number seven, he essentially missed a straight one to be bowled by Smith, and looked bewildered that his stumps had been disturbed.
From BBC • Jun. 5, 2026
“I’m deeply disturbed by reports of the poor conditions at Delaney Hall. Unsafe, inhumane and unconstitutional living conditions are completely unacceptable,” Sherrill said in a statement.
From Salon • May 30, 2026
She explained that geological activity such as mountain building and continental rifting has disturbed many older rocks, making them more difficult to analyze.
From Science Daily • May 26, 2026
Her silence disturbed him; and after observing her a little while, he added,
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
