disturb
Americanverb (used with object)
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disturbs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disturbed,
past participle, past
-
disturbing
present participle
-
to interrupt the quiet, rest, peace, or order of; unsettle.
-
to interfere with; interrupt; hinder.
Please do not disturb me when I'm working.
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to interfere with the arrangement, order, or harmony of; disarrange.
to disturb the papers on her desk.
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to perplex; trouble.
to be disturbed by strange behavior.
verb (used without object)
-
disturbs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disturbed,
past participle, past
-
disturbing
present participle
verb
-
to intrude on; interrupt
-
to destroy or interrupt the quietness or peace of
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to disarrange; muddle
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(often passive) to upset or agitate; trouble
I am disturbed at your bad news
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to inconvenience; put out
don't disturb yourself on my account
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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disturbsimple
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disturbssimple
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have disturbedperfect
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has disturbedperfect
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am disturbingprogressive
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are disturbingprogressive
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is disturbingprogressive
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have been disturbingperfect progressive
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has been disturbingperfect progressive
Past
-
disturbedsimple
-
had disturbedperfect
-
was disturbingprogressive
-
were disturbingprogressive
-
had been disturbingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disturb
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English distorben, distourben, disturben, from Anglo-French desturber, disto(u)rber, from Latin disturbāre “to demolish, upset,” from dis- dis- 1 + turbāre “to agitate, confuse” ( see turbid)
Explanation
To disturb is to bother. If you hang a "Do not disturb" sign on the outside of your hotel room door, you want to be left alone. Disturb comes from the Latin prefix dis-, meaning "completely" and turbare, meaning "to disorder." To disturb is, in a sense, to completely disorder. When you disturb something, you interfere with its normal function. Along those lines, it's also a word used to describe the interruption of sleep or relaxation. Your alarm disturbs you from sleep every morning. When something disturbs you, it can also cause you emotional anxiety. A horror movie might disturb you with its goriness.
Vocabulary lists containing disturb
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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The Circuit
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"The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Raven"
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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.
See Examples For:
The resulting wake could disturb the atmosphere, producing changes that astronomers can detect even though the smaller star itself remains invisible in the radio observations.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 4, 2026
Lincoln is concerned that the Great Redwood Trail will disturb historic tribal sites in the Eel River Canyon and advocates for an alternative route that would diverge from the railroad line.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
Barn owls are a Schedule 1 breeding species, meaning it is illegal to disturb them during the breeding season without a licence.
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
That could disturb the thin slips of paper some kits are wrapped with.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
“Take care you do not disturb it; and even if the room feel close, do not to-night open the window or the door.”
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
Researchers suspect this could contribute to a self-reinforcing cycle in which Alzheimer's pathology disturbs sleep, and inadequate sleep may further aggravate the disease.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026
But witnessing the book’s reception, it disturbs me how quickly we, as readers, have accepted one side of a complicated relationship: The husband is a monster, she is our sister.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026
In early January, the city of San Diego sued the federal government over razor wire placed on its land, saying it constitutes trespassing and disturbs sensitive habitat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2026
Just like moving fingers under the running water from a tap can disrupt its steady flow, HIP 67522 b disturbs the star’s magnetic field as it orbits around its host star.
From Space Scoop ● Jul. 17, 2025
Write about what disturbs you, particularly if it bothers no one else.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
Wild poppies, now frequently seen growing in agricultural fields, also thrived in areas where large grazing animals disturbed vegetation within ancient woodlands.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 7, 2026
As Michael Cox wrote in 1983, “nothing fragmented the completeness, nothing disturbed the balance of Monty James’s personality.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
"We're extremely anxious, disturbed," said Zikri, urging the government to "pay more attention."
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Rania Batrice, a Palestinian American political strategist who was a deputy campaign manager for Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, was disturbed.
From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026
The swamp’s stillness was disturbed only by the croaking of a frog and the splash as it leaped into a puddle nearby.
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
Mr. Varadarajan’s assessment leaves a disturbing impression of Bob Woodward as a journalist who exploited the confidences of his sources, ultimately sacrificing their trust and reputations on the altar of his own celebrity status.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2026
Chicago Fed boss Austan Goolsbee told PBS Newshour the reading was "another distressing report, borderline disturbing".
From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2026
Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Bart van den Brink, who is also minister of asylum and migration, said it was "highly disturbing" to see this happening in Dutch waters.
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
The festival’s final edition in Park City came to a close with two awards wins by Beth de Araújo’s disturbing drama starring Channing Tatum, Gemma Chan and Mason Reeves.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Robert McNamara, secretary of defense during the crisis, came to what I consider to be a far more disturbing conclusion.
From "Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown" by Steve Sheinkin
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
