disturb
Americanverb (used with object)
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disturbs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disturbed,
past participle, past
-
disturbing
present participle
-
to interrupt the quiet, rest, peace, or order of; unsettle.
-
to interfere with; interrupt; hinder.
Please do not disturb me when I'm working.
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to interfere with the arrangement, order, or harmony of; disarrange.
to disturb the papers on her desk.
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to perplex; trouble.
to be disturbed by strange behavior.
verb (used without object)
-
disturbs,
present (3rd person singular)
-
disturbed,
past participle, past
-
disturbing
present participle
verb
-
to intrude on; interrupt
-
to destroy or interrupt the quietness or peace of
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to disarrange; muddle
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(often passive) to upset or agitate; trouble
I am disturbed at your bad news
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to inconvenience; put out
don't disturb yourself on my account
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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disturbsimple
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disturbssimple
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have disturbedperfect
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has disturbedperfect
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am disturbingprogressive
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are disturbingprogressive
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is disturbingprogressive
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have been disturbingperfect progressive
-
has been disturbingperfect progressive
Past
-
disturbedsimple
-
had disturbedperfect
-
was disturbingprogressive
-
were disturbingprogressive
-
had been disturbingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of disturb
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English distorben, distourben, disturben, from Anglo-French desturber, disto(u)rber, from Latin disturbāre “to demolish, upset,” from dis- dis- 1 + turbāre “to agitate, confuse” ( see turbid)
Explanation
To disturb is to bother. If you hang a "Do not disturb" sign on the outside of your hotel room door, you want to be left alone. Disturb comes from the Latin prefix dis-, meaning "completely" and turbare, meaning "to disorder." To disturb is, in a sense, to completely disorder. When you disturb something, you interfere with its normal function. Along those lines, it's also a word used to describe the interruption of sleep or relaxation. Your alarm disturbs you from sleep every morning. When something disturbs you, it can also cause you emotional anxiety. A horror movie might disturb you with its goriness.
Vocabulary lists containing disturb
"Romeo and Juliet" by William Shakespeare, Act I
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The Circuit
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"The Tell-Tale Heart" and "The Raven"
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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.
See Examples For:
Despite the cold, there’s no radiation to worry about and only gentle 10 mph winds to disturb those dunes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
But for that you get a machine which is less likely to disturb the peace.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
"Whenever we disturb the ground, when we cut down a tree and expose the soil, the fire can reignite," said fire chief Covens.
From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026
The subject is both boring and harrowing, so why disturb the moment?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
“You will be glad to know that Lucy is better. The dear child is still asleep. I looked into her room and saw her, but did not go in, lest I should disturb her.”
From "Dracula" by Bram Stoker
But the principality’s lingering image as a Ruritanian outpost disturbs the family as it looks out from Vaduz castle on a thriving country smoothly run by supply-side economists, bankers and industrialists.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
"Nature has already designed the perfect pollination system. When humans interfere too much, it often disturbs that balance," he says.
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
When ions move through a crystal lattice in a fluid-like way, their motion temporarily disturbs the lattice symmetry.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 7, 2026
Just like moving fingers under the running water from a tap can disrupt its steady flow, HIP 67522 b disturbs the star’s magnetic field as it orbits around its host star.
From Space Scoop ● Jul. 17, 2025
No cock crows there; no watchdog breaks the silence; no branches rustle in the breeze; no clamor of tongues disturbs the peace.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
“Her genius really does live in the recesses of her disturbed brain.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
When Regan cheerfully tells another disturbed child, “I was possessed by a demon. Oh, it’s OK. He’s gone!” ridicule is the correct response.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026
But analysts weren’t as disturbed by the results, remaining bullish enough on the stock that it made the screen.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
Like Walkden, medication made McCoubrey feel drowsy, nauseous and caused disturbed sleep.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
Metal blades bit into damp dirt, easily moved as if previously disturbed.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
After the hearing, the committees' chair Ruth Jones called the documentary's findings "disturbing", and suggested there was confusion about which government would be responsible for testing.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
Perhaps that’s because, if we stop clinging to the hope that it was all for the greater good, the events become too disturbing to imagine.
From Salon ● Sep. 7, 2026
The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom said the verdict sent "a disturbing message to those who attack and kill journalists".
From Barron's ● Sep. 2, 2026
The facts are ugly, but the most disturbing development may be the media circus the trial has generated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
“You were given a warning to clear this area out within the hour. Anyone who is not gone in the next five minutes will be arrested for trespassing and disturbing the peace.”
From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro
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.
