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

The uneasy orchestral writing acts as a collective, disturbed subconscious.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

I spent 17 years at the helm of the California Air Resources Board, and I am deeply disturbed by the potential co-opting of public input processes using forgery through automated tools.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

The weather rules include atmospheric electricity, types of cloud, specifically cumulus and disturbed weather like rain or strong winds.

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

"If the main raw material is disturbed, the whole industry is disturbed," Dulera told AFP.

From Barron's • Mar. 29, 2026

Nhamo was too disturbed to pay much attention, but gradually she began to sense that something was very wrong.

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

Related Words

• agitated
• troubled