1
as in annoying
causing annoyance
a disturbing visit by the next-door neighbor while I was trying to study
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in embarrassing
causing embarrassment
there was a disturbing silence as I struggled to remember her name
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3
as in unsettling
causing worry or anxiety
a disturbing trend in the nation's energy consumption
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4
as in uneasy
marked by or causing agitation or uncomfortable feelings
a disturbing pause in the normally smooth operation of the machinery
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1
as in alarming
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy
all that talk of war disturbed us
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2
as in removing
to change the place or position of
the items on her desk had been disturbed by someone
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3
as in disrupting
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
her careful filing system is sure to be disturbed during the move
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4
as in bothering
to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation
sorry to disturb you while you're working
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5
as in troubling
to cause discomfort to or trouble for
please do not disturb yourself—I'll get my own drink
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of disturbing
Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 1 Feb. 2025
All of these findings are pretty disturbing, but what does Elsbeth make of them?
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 20 Dec. 2024
Water from the bottom of the tray to avoid disturbing seeds.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for disturbing 
Adjective
The following story describes graphic details of the lawsuit that some readers may find disturbing.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 1 Feb. 2025
All of these findings are pretty disturbing, but what does Elsbeth make of them?
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2025
Verb
Though the Dark Universe might be dead, Robert Eggers has crafted something like its spiritual successor with a series of disturbing horror features.
—Charles Pulliam-Moore, The Verge, 20 Dec. 2024
Water from the bottom of the tray to avoid disturbing seeds.
—Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for disturbing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturbing
Adjective
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CenturyLink hasn't broken its annoying habit of leaving customers without service for weeks or months and repeatedly failing to show up for repair appointments.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
10 Feb. 2025
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These evergreen monocultures, originally planted as lumber during the country’s postwar building boom, cause annoying seasonal allergies and dangerous erosion that leads to mudslides.—
Hannah Kirshner,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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While farting during a walk can be embarrassing, some people embrace the benefits.—
Nancy LeBrun,
Verywell Health,
7 Feb. 2025
-
The gesture might rank as one of the most embarrassing in hip-hop history.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Equal parts exhilarating and unsettling, many fans crowned Lamar victorious in the beef, especially after the spat led to litigation.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA TODAY,
7 Feb. 2025
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But Syrian human rights groups and locals have publicized unsettling accounts of summary executions and disappearances of Alawites.—
Fawaz A. Gerges,
Foreign Affairs,
27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Bochner began working in the wake of Abstract Expressionism, whose emphasis on artistic genius, painterly excellence, and formalism left many of his generation feeling uneasy.—
Alex Greenberger,
ARTnews.com,
14 Feb. 2025
-
Arms control advocates, as well as a significant portion of liberal policymakers, fear doing so undermines the uneasy trust of mutual vulnerability and encourages nuclear foes to develop dangerous new technologies to defeat defense systems.—
Davis Winkie,
USA TODAY,
12 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The acids in toner can also act as chemical exfoliants, removing any extra dead skin cells or other debris that might build up.—
Amanda Svachula,
Health,
27 Dec. 2024
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Start by removing the old hardware using a screwdriver, saving the screws if needed, and clean the surface to remove any residue.—
Perri Ormont Blumberg,
Architectural Digest,
27 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Protests keep disrupting life in Dhaka, the capital.—
Saif Hasnat Atul Loke,
New York Times,
24 Dec. 2024
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For example, Russian GPS jamming near Kaliningrad in 2023 affected over 46,000 flights to and from Europe, disrupting civilian and military operations alike.—
Jack Hidary,
Forbes,
23 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Rodin Cars The big idea behind Rodin is to build cars without bothering about vehicle regulations – in stark contrast to F1 cars, which are subject to several rules around how they're put together.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
2 Jan. 2025
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The city and state have also been ramping up efforts to engage troubled vagrants sleeping and sometimes bothering straphangers, connecting them with services and shelter and potentially involuntary treatment.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
27 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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For the last three weeks, Democrats up and down the seniority list have been stuck playing an especially frustrating game of Whac-a-Mole: smack the outrage of the hour and then race to hit the next one, never quite leveling the field.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
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Unfortunately, the setup process is frustrating compared with the competition, as are the site-building tools.—
Robert Anderson,
PCMAG,
14 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near disturbing
Cite this Entry
“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturbing. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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