disturb
Americanverb (used with object)
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to interrupt the quiet, rest, peace, or order of; unsettle.
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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)
verb
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to intrude on; interrupt
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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
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disturbedsimple
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had disturbedperfect
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was disturbingprogressive
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were disturbingprogressive
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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:
Last year, a petition to halt Big Bear Lake’s annual fireworks display collected more than 40,000 signatures from people concerned that the event would disturb the area’s famous bald eagle couple, Jackie and Shadow.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
In this world, the bizarre proclivities of one man can disturb the peace and rattle markets.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
A horizontal magnetic field generated a two dimensional flow, while an array of rods was used to disturb it.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2026
"We'd at least be able to tell them, 'there are other people who are trying to disturb you'."
From Barron's ● May 18, 2026
The overseer listened respectfully and then began telling us to go, not to disturb the men, although for so long he had been glad of many watchers.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
But the principality’s lingering image as a Ruritanian outpost disturbs the family as it looks out from Vaduz castle on a thriving country smoothly run by supply-side economists, bankers and industrialists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
"Nature has already designed the perfect pollination system. When humans interfere too much, it often disturbs that balance," he says.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
When ions move through a crystal lattice in a fluid-like way, their motion temporarily disturbs the lattice symmetry.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 7, 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
"See that no one disturbs his rest without leave from me."
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
When an anthill is disturbed, the response comes from the colony acting together rather than from any individual ant.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026
Plankton, which are tiny creatures that float in the sea, have the ability to emit bioluminescence when they are disturbed by a predator or motion.
From BBC ● Jun. 25, 2026
The calling function disturbed us both, the text prompts were too limited and arbitrary, and overall, the device made me realize that our relationship probably didn’t need any technological intervention at all.
From Slate ● Jun. 20, 2026
When she encountered the boys in the hallways, their glances left her feeling disturbed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 14, 2026
It was a sign of how disturbed William must have been, even to say that much.
From "The Woman All Spies Fear" by Amy Butler Greenfield
Equally disturbing are the failings of the justice system that keep him on death row.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
At its core is a disturbing triangle composed of Munro; her second husband, Gerald Fremlin; and Munro’s daughter Andrea, from her first marriage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026
In general, he said the case "raises profoundly disturbing questions about the conduct of elements of the legal profession".
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
But it is profoundly disturbing that four justices rejected it.
From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2026
He’s disturbing everyone way more than me, but as usual Naano doesn’t mind his noise.
From "Zara’s Rules for Record-Breaking Fun" by Hena Khan
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.
