disturbing

adjective

dis·​turb·​ing di-ˈstər-biŋ How to pronounce disturbing (audio)
: 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 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

Examples of disturbing in a Sentence

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
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.
While no human-affecting viruses have been revived yet, the fact that ancient microbes can persist in a viable state raises a disturbing possibility: what else is hidden in the deep freeze, waiting to wake up? Scott Travers, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025 The possibility of losing Miami Beach's only art house cinema is disturbing to Tabsch, a filmmaker whose 2018 documentary The Last Resort, was about Miami Beach's Jewish community in the 1970s. Mandalit Del Barco, NPR, 15 Mar. 2025 Contents of this story may be disturbing to some readers. Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2025 Or some evil entity that can assume whatever form is most disturbing to its prey? Dennis Harvey, Variety, 11 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disturbing

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disturbing was in 1594

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Cite this Entry

“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disturbing. Accessed 27 Mar. 2025.

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