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

And adding a much more proactive and agile approach to the disruptive technologies that are coming and can really change the shape of your company’s operations and customer experience. —Megan Poinski, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024

Additionally, its cooling foams and breathable coils successfully prevented disruptive heat buildup, which may appeal to sleepers who share a bed. —Macy Alcido, Architectural Digest, 31 Oct. 2024

Currently, the goal of many is to eliminate a disruptive twice-yearly clock change, but lawmakers in the early 2000s came up with a different fix: Move the dates that the clock changes by a few weeks. —Jeanine Santucci, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024

That campaign would pull off at least one disruptive digital sabotage operation against the Maduro regime in 2019. —Zach Dorfman, WIRED, 31 Oct. 2024

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