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
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
Proponents have long invoked civil rights language to promote vouchers, a disturbing rhetorical choice given vouchers originated as a tool for southern white parents to avoid the Supreme Court's desegregation order in Brown v. Board of Education.
—Kevin Sabet, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025
Actress Isabella Rossellini reflects on the film’s disturbing material and autobiographical elements while resisting reductive interpretations.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
Testimony begins with explicit and graphic descriptions Take note: This trial will be graphic and disturbing.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 13 May 2025
Germany’s far-right party hates immigration, and some of its leaders have a disturbing tendency to say things that sound Nazi-curious.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
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Kevin Sabet, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 May 2025
Actress Isabella Rossellini reflects on the film’s disturbing material and autobiographical elements while resisting reductive interpretations.
—Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 14 May 2025
Testimony begins with explicit and graphic descriptions Take note: This trial will be graphic and disturbing.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 13 May 2025
Germany’s far-right party hates immigration, and some of its leaders have a disturbing tendency to say things that sound Nazi-curious.
—Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, 13 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
Cite this Entry
“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disturbing. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
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