- present participle of disturb.
disturbing
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of disturbing
Explanation
When something really worries or upsets you, you can describe it as disturbing. War photography is usually disturbing. It can be disturbing to see people be hurt, or a child going hungry: it troubles the person who is witnessing such difficulties. Some strange things are also often described as disturbing, such as bizarre clown art or people who walk around dressed in animal costumes. If it bothers and distresses you, it's disturbing. The Latin root, disturbare, combines dis, "completely," with turbare, "to disorder."
Vocabulary lists containing disturbing
May the 4th Be With You: Star Wars Words
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Mockingbird
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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.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani called the incident "deeply disturbing" in a post on X.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Otero Alcantara, designated a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International, was sentenced to five years in prison in 2022 for insulting national symbols, contempt and disturbing the public order.
From Barron's ● Jul. 18, 2026
In a disturbing plot twist, the normally pro-growth Texas governor has recently adopted an uncharacteristically pessimistic message on a particular industry.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 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
I climbed my sore body out of bed without disturbing Mama or Merry, and I tiptoed downstairs with a flashlight.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
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.
