- present participle of disturb.
disturbing
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disturbing
Explanation
When something really worries or upsets you, you can describe it as disturbing. War photography is usually disturbing. It can be disturbing to see people be hurt, or a child going hungry: it troubles the person who is witnessing such difficulties. Some strange things are also often described as disturbing, such as bizarre clown art or people who walk around dressed in animal costumes. If it bothers and distresses you, it's disturbing. The Latin root, disturbare, combines dis, "completely," with turbare, "to disorder."
Vocabulary lists containing disturbing
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Mockingbird
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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.
Disturbing, dark riddles compound and unfurl in wonderfully unexpected ways by the thrilling season finale.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2025
Disturbing spinelessness at an institution famed for courage.
From Salon • Oct. 25, 2024
Disturbing the riverbed and releasing accumulated pollutants could lead to a substantial deterioration in water quality, disrupting the delicate balance of aquatic life all the way down the Columbia River.
From Seattle Times • Feb. 16, 2024
Disturbing anonymous letters aimed at two dementia patients in a County Down nursing home have not been properly investigated, their families claim.
From BBC • Oct. 12, 2022
Disturbing emotions were conjured up in Liszt’s harmonies; flashy set pieces thrilled and terrified a sensation-seeking public.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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.
