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
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
And in this case, Johnson expects the video to be disturbing.
—Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2024
The video captures a disturbing sequence: A woman can be seen walking along a sidewalk in the Bronx on an early May morning, when a man, his face covered, approaches from behind.
—Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 11 May 2024
Doval is all arm and legs coming at the hitter at a disconcerting three-quarters motion that’s particularly disturbing to right-handed hitters.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024
The incident is another disturbing reminder of how ransomware groups are able to disrupt access to US healthcare providers.
—Michael Kan, PCMAG, 10 May 2024
Let the Evil Go West centers on a railroad worker who discovers a fortune under deeply disturbing circumstances.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 May 2024
Great Lakes shipwrecks are particularly disturbing because modern vessels have also struggled on the Great Lakes.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 6 May 2024
For him, the university’s response to the Siemens Hall occupation was traumatic for two reasons: first, because seeing students harmed and threatened with police violence is disturbing and, second, because of the logistical impracticalities of an abrupt transition to online learning.
—Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 3 May 2024
What is even more disturbing is that in 90% of cases, the abuser is a member of the family, based on findings in the study.
—Dr. Robert Glatter and Dr. Peter J Papadakos, TIME, 2 May 2024
Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 May 2024
The video captures a disturbing sequence: A woman can be seen walking along a sidewalk in the Bronx on an early May morning, when a man, his face covered, approaches from behind.
—Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 11 May 2024
Doval is all arm and legs coming at the hitter at a disconcerting three-quarters motion that’s particularly disturbing to right-handed hitters.
—Jerry McDonald, The Mercury News, 10 May 2024
The incident is another disturbing reminder of how ransomware groups are able to disrupt access to US healthcare providers.
—Michael Kan, PCMAG, 10 May 2024
Let the Evil Go West centers on a railroad worker who discovers a fortune under deeply disturbing circumstances.
—Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 May 2024
Great Lakes shipwrecks are particularly disturbing because modern vessels have also struggled on the Great Lakes.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 6 May 2024
For him, the university’s response to the Siemens Hall occupation was traumatic for two reasons: first, because seeing students harmed and threatened with police violence is disturbing and, second, because of the logistical impracticalities of an abrupt transition to online learning.
—Jenavieve Hatch, Sacramento Bee, 3 May 2024
What is even more disturbing is that in 90% of cases, the abuser is a member of the family, based on findings in the study.
—Dr. Robert Glatter and Dr. Peter J Papadakos, TIME, 2 May 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.
Dictionary Entries Near disturbing
Cite this Entry
“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disturbing. Accessed 19 May. 2024.
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