disturbing
adjective
dis·turb·ing
di-ˈstər-biŋ 
: 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
Bram Stoker
disturbingly
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
Jonathan Raban
Synonyms
Examples of disturbing in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Steve Burns, the former Nick Jr. star who spent several years as the lead of Blue’s Clues, is responding to the disturbing allegations made against Nickelodeon in the five-part documentary series, Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 8 Apr. 2024
Watching and hearing the regular explosions in the distance was surreal and disturbing.
—Tom Soufi Burridge, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024
Both sounded kind of disturbing and lacked any soul or feeling.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Apparently, Margaret had a disturbing childhood as well, and sees herself in the feral outsider.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
But as Free’s character dives deeper into the disturbing conspiracy, her own personal demons begin to resurface, leading to a scene that pays homage to Isabelle Adjani’s famous subway scene in Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession (1981).
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024
Houston Police released an extensive 1,266-page report a month later, detailing a disturbing and chaotic scene amidst the tragedy, along with interviews from Scott, his manager David Stromberg, Drake, festival organizers and crew workers.
—Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2024
There’s also some disturbing dream imagery of a giant skull-like creature, Master Mold, and a villain’s head is set on fire.
—Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
Her revelation came amid a slew of similar disturbing acts of violence shared by other women in Manhattan this week.
—Lawrence Yee, Peoplemag, 28 Mar. 2024
Shania Russell, EW.com, 8 Apr. 2024
Watching and hearing the regular explosions in the distance was surreal and disturbing.
—Tom Soufi Burridge, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2024
Both sounded kind of disturbing and lacked any soul or feeling.
—Sage Lazzaro, Fortune, 4 Apr. 2024
Apparently, Margaret had a disturbing childhood as well, and sees herself in the feral outsider.
—Peter Debruge, Variety, 4 Apr. 2024
But as Free’s character dives deeper into the disturbing conspiracy, her own personal demons begin to resurface, leading to a scene that pays homage to Isabelle Adjani’s famous subway scene in Andrzej Żuławski’s Possession (1981).
—Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 2 Apr. 2024
Houston Police released an extensive 1,266-page report a month later, detailing a disturbing and chaotic scene amidst the tragedy, along with interviews from Scott, his manager David Stromberg, Drake, festival organizers and crew workers.
—Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 28 Mar. 2024
There’s also some disturbing dream imagery of a giant skull-like creature, Master Mold, and a villain’s head is set on fire.
—Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 22 Mar. 2024
Her revelation came amid a slew of similar disturbing acts of violence shared by other women in Manhattan this week.
—Lawrence Yee, Peoplemag, 28 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disturbing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1594, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near disturbing
Cite this Entry
“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disturbing. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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More from Merriam-Webster on disturbing
Nglish: Translation of disturbing for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of disturbing for Arabic Speakers
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