DISTURB Synonyms: 273 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'disturb' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of disturb are agitate , discompose , disquiet , fluster , perturb , and upset . While all these words mean "to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action," disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption. // the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

Q: When is it sensible to use 'agitate' instead of 'disturb'?

In some situations, the words agitate and disturb are roughly equivalent. However, agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement. // in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

Q: When is 'discompose' a more appropriate choice than 'disturb'?

The synonyms discompose and disturb are sometimes interchangeable, but discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress. // discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

Q: When can 'disquiet' be used instead of 'disturb'?

The meanings of disquiet and disturb largely overlap; however, disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind. // the disquieting news of factories closing

Q: When would 'fluster' be a good substitute for 'disturb'?

While the synonyms fluster and disturb are close in meaning, fluster suggests bewildered agitation. // his declaration of love completely flustered her

Q: When could 'perturb' be used to replace 'disturb'?

Although the words perturb and disturb have much in common, perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions. // perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

Q: In what contexts can 'upset' take the place of 'disturb'?

The words upset and disturb can be used in similar contexts, but upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief. // the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

disturb

verb

di-ˈstərb

Definition of disturb

as in to bother

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy all that talk of war disturbed us

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to remove

to change the place or position of the items on her desk had been disturbed by someone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to disrupt

to undo the proper order or arrangement of her careful filing system is sure to be disturbed during the move

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to worry

to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation sorry to disturb you while you're working

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to weigh

to cause discomfort to or trouble for please do not disturb yourself—I'll get my own drink

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disturb contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of disturb are agitate, discompose, disquiet, fluster, perturb, and upset. While all these words mean "to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action," disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

When is it sensible to use agitate instead of disturb?

In some situations, the words agitate and disturb are roughly equivalent. However, agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

When is discompose a more appropriate choice than disturb?

The synonyms discompose and disturb are sometimes interchangeable, but discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

When can disquiet be used instead of disturb?

The meanings of disquiet and disturb largely overlap; however, disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

When would fluster be a good substitute for disturb?

While the synonyms fluster and disturb are close in meaning, fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

When could perturb be used to replace disturb?

Although the words perturb and disturb have much in common, perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

In what contexts can upset take the place of disturb?

The words upset and disturb can be used in similar contexts, but upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of disturb What interests Reczek and Bosley-Smith is what the information is allowed to disturb. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026 While the noise from the street would at times bleed into the living room, the bedroom was quiet, and our sleep was never disturbed by late-night foot traffic. — Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Oct. 2026 If anything, the University of Toronto researchers discovered, we humans are the ones disturbing our dogs’ sleep. — Gina Vivinetto, NBC news, 7 Oct. 2026 By mimicking the oarfish’s fluid control, Shepherd’s team aims to construct large, silent robotic monitors capable of observing fragile ocean ecosystems without ever disturbing the wildlife inside them. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disturb

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturb

Verb

Gee, who used to pop into fraternity parties unannounced to keep tabs on them, said he is not bothered by the reintegration of the three formerly rogue organizations.

— Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026
This is a dense picture—there’s almost too much to unpack, if you can be bothered to care about any of it.

— Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of bother

Verb

The full court reheard the case in January 2024, and in October 2024 ruled 9-8 that the NLRB had no power to order the tweet removed, citing the First Amendment.

— Heather Occhino, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2026
Meanwhile, according to a USFWS spokesperson, around 30 million lbs of invasive carp are removed from Midwestern waters each year.

— Victoria Malloy, Time, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of remove

Verb

The integration could help American troops operate uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS) when adversaries attempt to disrupt battlefield communications.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
At the same time, a traffic signal at Hazel Avenue and Folsom Boulevard was flashing in all directions, disrupting train signals at three additional intersections, Selenis said.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of disrupt

Verb

Congress weighs competing proposals Anthropic’s draft enters a crowded legislative debate over how the United States should regulate frontier AI.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 17 Oct. 2026
With resurgent inflation and traders weighing the Fed's next move, any signal on the rate path could ripple through the equities, bond and currency markets.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of weigh

Verb

Know when to ask for another ball and try your best not to be distracted by a nice rack.

— Sean Joseph OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Oct. 2026
The compelling series achieves a provocative dissection of it all with rare confidence without the overindulgence of distracting CGI tossed in for sheer spectacle.

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of distract

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distrusts

disturb

disturbance

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“Disturb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturb. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of disturb

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