disturb
verb (used with object)
to interrupt the quiet, rest, peace, or order of; unsettle.
were disturbing
-
past progressiveof disturb.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Earlier, solicitor Nicola Ryan-Donnelly, from law firm Fletcher's, which is representing 22 of the injured and traumatised children, said the findings were "disturbing and frankly depressing".
From BBC ● Apr. 13, 2026
Right out of the gate there were disturbing signs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2023
When we analyzed and cross-referenced a nationally representative panel study of 11,820 U.S. adults age 60 and older using this new metric, the results were disturbing.
From Salon ● Feb. 14, 2023
Some of the details in Yates’ report were disturbing.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 4, 2022
Even the friendlier parts of his dream were disturbing.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
