disturbance

American  

[dih-stur-buhns] / dɪˈstɜr bəns /

noun

disturbances plural

1. the act of disturbing.

2. the state of being disturbed.

   Synonyms:

   confusion, perturbation

3. an instance of this; commotion.

   Antonyms:

   order

4. something that disturbs.

5. an outbreak of disorder; a breach of public peace.

   Political disturbances shook the city.

   Synonyms:

   riot, tumult, confusion

6. Meteorology. any cyclonic storm or low-pressure area, usually a small one.

7. Geology. a crustal movement of moderate intensity, somewhat restricted in area.

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disturbance British  

/ dɪˈstɜːbəns /

noun

1. the act of disturbing or the state of being disturbed

2. an interruption or intrusion

3. an unruly outburst or tumult

4. law an interference with another's rights

5. geology

   1. a minor movement of the earth causing a small earthquake

   2. a minor mountain-building event

6. meteorol a small depression

7. psychiatry a mental or emotional disorder

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Synonym Usage

See agitation. See disorder.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nondisturbance
  noun
• predisturbance
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• disturbances
  plural

Etymology

Origin of disturbance

1250–1300; Middle English disto ( u ) rbance < Anglo-French, Old French. See disturb, -ance

Explanation

A disturbance is a noisy commotion that causes a hubbub or interruption. It can also be a worried mental state. In hotels, people put up "Do not disturb" signs when they want to be left alone. That's a good clue to what a disturbance is: something, usually noisy or rowdy, that bothers people. An audience member yelling during a piano concert would be a disturbance. Disturbances can also be interruptions, like a disturbance in cable service when the cable goes out. Disturbances can also be mental: if you're worried or anxious, that's a type of internal disturbance.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

disturbance disturbances

The slowdown from the last quarter was likely because of disturbance to sentiments from international geopolitical issues, Citi analysts said in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

There are also tentative but growing indications of how sleep disturbance might increase the risk of heart disease.

From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026

“During an arrival maneuver, an aircraft flew lower than standard profiles, resulting in a disturbance on the beach that affected civilian chairs and umbrellas,” a Navy spokesperson said in a statement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026

The incident occurred June 14 when officers from the Santa Ana Police Department responded around 10:30 p.m. to a family disturbance in the 3400 block of South Main Street.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026

I do not dare try to move him; I have the feeling that the least disturbance, even a loud noise, might snap the thread.

From "Z for Zachariah" by Robert C. O’Brien

These trees "need natural disturbances such as fires," according to the government department Environment Canada, but suffer from repeated, intense fires that prevent them from regenerating.

From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026

In simple terms, a strongly entangled system reacts more dramatically to disturbances than a collection of independent particles, allowing researchers to estimate how much entanglement is present.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026

The topology of that state fixes the values of the steps and plateaus, making them resistant to disturbances and defects.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 2026

Reform's candidate Robert Kenyon was also striking in his repeated insistence that "violence is never the answer" after the disturbances in Southampton earlier this week.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

Evidence of disturbances in affect organization was seen.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

Related Words

• brawl
• confusion
• disorder
• disruption
• eruption
• explosion
• fracas
• interruption
• riot
• shock
• storm
• tremor
• turmoil
• upheaval
• uprising
• violence