disturb

[ dih-sturb ]

/ dɪˈstɜrb /

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See synonyms for: disturb / disturbed / disturbing / disturbs on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to interrupt the quiet, rest, peace, or order of; unsettle.

to interfere with; interrupt; hinder: Please do not disturb me when I'm working.

to interfere with the arrangement, order, or harmony of; disarrange: to disturb the papers on her desk.

to perplex; trouble: to be disturbed by strange behavior.

verb (used without object)

to cause disturbance to someone's sleep, rest, etc.: Do not disturb.

OTHER WORDS FOR disturb

1 bother, annoy, trouble, pester.

See synonyms for disturb on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of disturb

1175–1225; Middle English disto(u)rben, disturben<Anglo-French disto(u)rber, desturber<Latin disturbāre to demolish, upset, equivalent to dis-dis-¹ + turbāre to confuse

OTHER WORDS FROM disturb

dis·turb·er, nounpre·dis·turb, verb (used with object)

Words nearby disturb

distringas, Distrito Federal, distrix, distrust, distrustful, disturb, disturbance, disturbed, disturbing, disty., distyle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use disturb in a sentence

At some point, it got disturbed and fell inward toward the sun.
These Images Expose the Dark Side of the Solar System - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Corey S. Powell|August 26, 2020|Nautilus
PTIs can conduct light waves on their surface and edges rather than having them run through the material, and allow light to be redirected around corners without disturbing its flow.
6G Will Be 100 Times Faster Than 5G—and Now There’s a Chip for It|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|August 21, 2020|Singularity Hub
The onset of the pandemic, however, has disturbed this uneasy balance.
Inside China’s unexpected quest to protect data privacy|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Major publications such as The New York Times and rights groups like Amnesty International echoed her disturbing eye-witness account.
The Great Lie of the First Gulf War|Mat Nashed|August 17, 2020|Ozy

Most of the 352 pits and other intentionally disturbed areas in La Mina contain remnants of ochre deposits, the researchers say.
Underwater caves once hosted the Americas’ oldest known ochre mines|Bruce Bower|July 3, 2020|Science News
They knew they might see things that will disturb them, but could not deter them from their duty.
Any Outrage Out There for Ramos and Liu, Protesters?|Mike Barnicle|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I disturb their efforts to get their children and the few clothes they have with them clean using hoses and battered buckets.
Turkish President Kisses Off Kurds Under Siege By ISIS|Jamie Dettmer|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Understanding that isolation is the one thing that would absolutely disturb me.
Inside Orange Is the New Black’s Terrifying Showdown Between Red and Vee|Kevin Fallon|June 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He is carrying the briefcase as he enters the room, so still even in walking that he does not disturb the air around him.
The Stacks: The True Greatness of Muhammad Ali|Peter Richmond|February 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The house is eerily pristine and immaculately preserved; your visit is the only thing threatening to disturb it.
Seduced by Art & Beauty ‘At the House of Mr X’|Chloë Ashby|January 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As small letters weary the eye most, so also the smallest affairs disturb us most.
Pearls of Thought|Maturin M. Ballou
It was like a dream of beauty suspended in the air before you—floating there—and you didn't want to disturb it.
Music-Study in Germany|Amy Fay
It was lying sound asleep on a mud-bank, not dreaming, doubtless, of the daring bipeds who were about to disturb its repose.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
During the first few years of my service on the County Down little occurred to disturb the even tenor of my way.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
The flounces were so full and fluffy that he held his knees back nervously lest he should disturb a puff.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton

British Dictionary definitions for disturb

disturb

/ (dɪˈstɜːb) /

verb (tr)

to intrude on; interrupt

to destroy or interrupt the quietness or peace of

to disarrange; muddle

(often passive) to upset or agitate; troubleI am disturbed at your bad news

to inconvenience; put outdon't disturb yourself on my account

Derived forms of disturb

disturber, noun

Word Origin for disturb

C13: from Latin disturbāre, from dis- 1 + turbāre to confuse

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

disturb

OTHER WORDS FOR disturb

Origin of disturb

OTHER WORDS FROM disturb

Words nearby disturb

Words related to disturb

How to use disturb in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for disturb

Derived forms of disturb

Word Origin for disturb