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disturbing

[ dih-stur-bing ]
/ dɪˈstɜr bɪŋ /
||
SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR disturbing ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

upsetting or disquieting; dismaying: a disturbing increase in the crime rate.

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RELATED WORDS

troublesome, embarrassing, annoying, worrisome, distressing, startling, unsettling, alarming, threatening, discouraging, unpleasant, painful, perplexing, upsetting, depressing, ominous, frightening, irritating, sinister, creepy

Nearby words

  1. distrust,
  2. distrustful,
  3. disturb,
  4. disturbance,
  5. disturbed,
  6. disty.,
  7. distylar,
  8. distyle,
  9. disubstituted,
  10. disulfate

Origin of disturbing

First recorded in 1585–95; disturb + -ing2
Related formsdis·turb·ing·ly, adverbnon·dis·turb·ing, adjectiveun·dis·turb·ing, adjectiveun·dis·turb·ing·ly, adverb

disturb

[ dih-sturb ]
/ dɪˈstɜrb /

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.

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
Related formsdis·turb·er, nounpre·dis·turb, verb (used with object)
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for disturbing

British Dictionary definitions for disturbing

disturbing

/ (dɪˈstɜːbɪŋ) /

adjective

tending to upset or agitate; troubling; worrying
Derived Formsdisturbingly, adverb

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 Formsdisturber, 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