disturbing

[dih-stur-bing]

adjective

1. upsetting or disquieting; dismaying.

   a disturbing increase in the crime rate.

Other Word Forms

• disturbingly adverb
• nondisturbing adjective
• undisturbing adjective
• undisturbingly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of disturbing¹

First recorded in 1585–95; disturb + -ing ²

Example Sentences

“Boots” isn’t anywhere near as disturbing as, say, “Full Metal Jacket” — which Ray told Cam to watch to prepare, though he opted for a “Golden Girls” marathon instead.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He said it was disturbing to learn that the New Year’s fire allegedly was arson, but that the news on Wednesday raised more questions than answers.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In a statement on Tuesday, Amnesty International said that the junta's use of motorised paragliders to attack communities was part of a "disturbing trend".

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Of all the disturbing trends I’ve been made unwitting witness to in the hyper-technological age, cheering for someone’s unemployment stands out as one of the most grotesquely cruel.

Read more on Salon

In 2023, in an Instagram post supporting a campaign against AI by US media union SAG-Aftra, she described attempts at recreating his voice as "personally disturbing", while also pointing to the wider implications.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• alarming 
• annoying 
• bothersome 
• creepy 
• depressing 
• disconcerting 
• discouraging www.thesaurus.com
• distressing www.thesaurus.com
• embarrassing www.thesaurus.com
• frightening www.thesaurus.com
• irritating 
• ominous 
• painful 
• perplexing 
• sinister 
• startling 
• threatening 
• troublesome 
• troubling www.thesaurus.com
• unpleasant