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.

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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

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Synonym Usage

See agitation. See disorder.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondisturbance
  noun
• predisturbance
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• disturbances
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of disturbance

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

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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

Wu worked with biologists and used dim red light and a customised fisheye lens to minimise disturbance.

From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026

Pasadena Police were called to a family disturbance in the 300 block of Mooresque Drive at 12:31 a.m. on Sept. 19, according to Lt.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026

While the climate disturbance promotes cyclones in the Pacific, it can stifle them in the North Atlantic.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

The study also lacked information on several factors that could potentially influence postoperative pain, including anxiety, depression, cancer stage, cancer treatment, and sleep disturbance before surgery.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 14, 2026

He wrote: As I held the flask, I concentrated on the picture I’d formed in my mind of the cells, visualizing a disturbance in the cell fields and the cells blowing up.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot

"If the species is facing issues on this particular landscape, there might be a chance that the ecological disturbances are affecting other birds too," said Lochan.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

That stability could allow the magnetic system to resist small environmental disturbances that might otherwise interfere with its ability to provide reliable navigational information.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026

Munro said headaches were a symptom of migraine attacks, but so too are "visual disturbances, nausea and vomiting, sometimes numbness and tingling, sometimes abdominal pain, sometimes dizziness".

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

The robot was agile enough to complete 10 consecutive somersaults in 11 seconds, even while wind disturbances tried to knock it away from its intended path.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026

Evidence of disturbances in affect organization was seen.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

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Related Words

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

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