disturbing

1 of 2

adjective

dis·​turb·​ing di-ˈstər-biŋ How to pronounce disturbing (audio)
Synonyms of disturbingnext
: causing feelings of worry, concern, or anxiety
disturbing news
a disturbing discovery
The next phase in which I had a part was even more disturbing, and infinitely more painful.—Bram Stoker
disturbingly
di-ˈstər-biŋ-lē How to pronounce disturbing (audio)
adverb
disturbingly high levels of pollution
a disturbingly familiar problem
… the texture of ordinary life and talk has taken on a disturbingly ambiguous quality … —Jonathan Raban

disturbing

2 of 2

present participle of disturb

Synonyms of disturbing

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Adjective

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Examples of disturbing in a Sentence

Adjective a disturbing visit by the next-door neighbor while I was trying to study there was a disturbing silence as I struggled to remember her name a disturbing trend in the nation's energy consumption a disturbing pause in the normally smooth operation of the machinery
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
This disturbing contradiction suggests that different physical laws apply to the observer and the observed. — Philipp Strasberg, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026 Rather, to live under platform capitalism is to recognize the disturbing manner in which human need has been redescribed as algorithmic entanglement. — Eugenie Brinkema, ARTnews.com, 17 Oct. 2026 In a disturbing discovery, security researchers have found evidence that online ads on websites and mobile apps were widely exploited to deliver spyware to devices without users' knowledge. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 15 Oct. 2026 Even when the metaphor is painfully on the nose, the film’s most disturbing images are more than their dramatic limitations and a whale is still an astonishing place to spend a movie. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 14 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disturbing

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1594, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disturbing was in 1594

Phrases Containing disturbing

Rhymes for disturbing

See All Rhymes for disturbing

Browse Nearby Words

disturber
disturbing
disturbingly
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Cite this Entry

“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disturbing. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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