disturbed

American  

[dih-sturbd] / dɪˈstɜrbd /

adjective

1. marked by symptoms of mental illness.

   a disturbed personality.

2. agitated or distressed; disrupted.

   disturbed seas; a disturbed situation.

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noun

(used with a plural verb)

1. Usually the disturbed persons who exhibit symptoms of neurosis or psychosis.

disturbed British  

/ dɪˈstɜːbd /

adjective

1. psychiatry emotionally upset, troubled, or maladjusted

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Other Word Forms

• undisturbed
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of disturbed

First recorded in 1585–95; disturb + -ed ²

Explanation

If something is disturbed, it's been moved or changed — it's not positioned or functioning the way it usually does. Traveling across the globe gives many people disturbed sleep patterns. If your younger brother has been snooping in your room, the only evidence might be the disturbed items on your desk — maybe he rifled through your diary and left it in a different spot. When people are described as disturbed, it means they're troubled emotionally. The word comes from the Latin disturbare, "throw into disorder," and its root turba, "turmoil."

Example Sentences

Researchers explained that cemeteries provide especially good habitat because the land is peaceful, rarely disturbed, and largely free of pesticides.

From Science Daily • May 28, 2026

Then a "rumble" disturbed the quiet, says Iryna.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

In Hao’s acceptance speech, read by presenter Jia-Rui Cook in her absence, the author said she “can’t help but be disturbed by how the themes of this book have grown more relevant by the day.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2026

Mr. Trump was disturbed by photos he saw of Israel’s bombing earlier this week in Beirut.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

The magistrate followed, perfectly clean and looking incredibly irritated that he’d been disturbed and dragged to the farm.

From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack

Related Words

• agitated
• troubled