- 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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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.
Scientists can therefore observe living cells for longer periods while minimizing the risk of disturbing or damaging them.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
Lynwood City Councilman Luis Cuellar said he was made aware on social media of the disturbing incident and notified the city manager, who then launched an investigation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
It’s another song about a fractured relationship in which obsession reaches a boiling point, as if we’re seeing the couple from “Happy for You” in a different but equally disturbing phase.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2026
"What happened to Jane Doe in 2024 is deeply disturbing and will weigh heavily on our community for years to come."
From Barron's ● Oct. 4, 2026
Something was disturbing him about the captive mouse.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
