disruptive

adjective

dis·​rup·​tive dis-ˈrəp-tiv 

: disrupting or tending to disrupt some process, activity, condition, etc. : causing or tending to cause disruption

a disruptive weather pattern

It is hoped that, if the child learns that disruptive behavior brings no rewards, his tantrums will diminish and perhaps stop.

—Susan Sheehan

In recent years, airlines began to carry plastic handcuffs as a way to restrain disruptive passengers.

—Erik Holm

Other teammates marvel at how easily he morphs from a mild-mannered family man in the locker room into a disruptive force on the field.

—Jefri Chadiha

disruptively adverb

acting disruptively

disruptiveness noun

… the disruptiveness of climatic change will depend strongly on the rate of change.

—Roger Revelle

Examples of disruptive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Faraji also references a union, which might have a labor agreement that also proves disruptive for her in court. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 Jan. 2025

Listen to this article As Illinoisans return to the office after the holiday season, their Monday blues might be further magnified by lake-effect snow on the tail end of a major, disruptive snowstorm that slammed the central United States and by below-normal temperatures later in the week. —Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 6 Jan. 2025

Saying yes is polite and agreeable, while saying no is often seen as selfish or disruptive. —Dr. Sunita Sah, TIME, 4 Jan. 2025

Also, officials warned, the Russians might have wanted that memo to be released; even four years on, anything mentioning Clinton, Russia, and Trump was politically combustible and potentially disruptive to the election. —Shane Harris, The Atlantic, 3 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

disruptive

adjective

dis·​rup·​tive dis-ˈrəp-tiv 

: characterized by psychologically disorganized behavior

a confused, incoherent, and disruptive patient in the manic phase