disturb

verb

di-ˈstərb How to pronounce disturb (audio)
Definition of disturbnext
1
as in to bother
to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy all that talk of war disturbed us

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to remove
to change the place or position of the items on her desk had been disturbed by someone

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of her careful filing system is sure to be disturbed during the move

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to worry
to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation sorry to disturb you while you're working

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to weigh
to cause discomfort to or trouble for please do not disturb yourself—I'll get my own drink

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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 The filmmakers are able to provide us with an intimate view without disturbing all these wonderful, unique living things. —David L. Coddon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025 The school has since been razed, but the construction disturbed the soil beneath it. —Michael Luo, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025 If sowing indoors, sow four to six weeks before planting out, and take care not to disturb the roots while transplanting. —Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Mar. 2025 Stay on marked trails, pack all your trash, and respect wildlife (do not feed or disturb them). —Emese MacZko, Forbes, 24 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for disturb
Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturb
  1. bother
  2. remove
  3. disrupt
  4. worry
  5. weigh
  6. distract
  7. relocate
  8. confuse
Verb
  • By the end of the day, my T-zone had turned a little bit oily, but honestly, not enough to bother me.
    — Denise Primbet, Glamour, 16 Mar. 2025
  • The First Amendment’s free speech protection is under siege by the Trump administration and that should bother every American, including Republicans.
    — New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 16 Mar. 2025
Definition of bother
Verb
  • Trump, however, issued an executive order on his first day in office removing U.S. coastal waters from offshore wind development.
    — Spencer Kimball, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2025
  • The Trump administration has begun acting on its worthy goal of removing aliens who support Hamas -- its jihadist terror and its antisemitism.
    — Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 10 Mar. 2025
Definition of remove
Verb
  • Doctors, hospitals and other providers don't want to disrupt their practices' workflow and payment logistics with cost discussions and paperwork, especially after services have been provided.
    — Michelle Andrews, NPR, 17 Mar. 2025
  • As the World Economic Forum reports, 44% of workers' skills will be disrupted in the next four years, with cognitive skills growing in importance most rapidly.
    — Caroline Castrillon, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of disrupt
Verb
  • Immigrants worry about what happens next Without her, and with ongoing threats togovernment health care programs, Julia worries her clients would be left uncared for.
    — Rachel Barber, USA TODAY, 9 Mar. 2025
  • How to Get Around With most of Grenada's hotels and resorts clustered around areas like Grand Anse Beach and St. George's, many visitors won't need to worry about transportation for most of their trip.
    — Carley Rojas Avila, Travel + Leisure, 9 Mar. 2025
Definition of worry
Verb
  • But there’s a lot of products out there that will weigh you down.
    — Kleigh Balugo, StyleCaster, 18 Mar. 2025
  • Donors must be in good health, at least 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds.
    — La Jolla Light, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Mar. 2025
Definition of weigh
Verb
  • That means having a high-quality microphone and video camera so others aren’t distracted by your technology. 8.
    — Joseph Liu, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Investors looking to distract themselves with a drink might, in fact, feel even more pain.
    — Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of distract
Verb
  • At various points in the episode, Ms. Huang completes her fellowship and prepares to be relocated to another Lumon facility, Dylan resigns out of despair over never getting to live the life his outie has, and Burt encourages Outie Irving to get out of town before Lumon can hurt him.
    — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 14 Mar. 2025
  • But that's just one of many reasons to visit, retire, or relocate to Tallahassee.
    — Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 14 Mar. 2025
Definition of relocate
Verb
  • Boat-Friendly Boca Grande To live in Boca Grande (not to be confused with Boca Raton, the resort on Florida’s east coast) is to be on the water.
    — Mary Forgione, Forbes, 14 Mar. 2025
  • When some confused the artist organization’s acronym, RCAF, with the Royal Canadian Air Force, the name was humorously changed to the Royal Chicano Air Force.
    — Joe Rubin, Sacramento Bee, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of confuse

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Cite this Entry

“Disturb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturb. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.

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