disturbing

adjective

dis·​turb·​ing di-ˈstər-biŋ How to pronounce disturbing (audio)
: 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
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

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
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.
While the Eagles triumphed 22-10, advancing to the NFC Divisional Round, the victory was overshadowed by the disturbing exchange in the stands. Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 15 Jan. 2025 The disturbing new figures are inching close to the same number of people — 1.5 million— who were internally displaced by Haiti’s cataclysmic earthquake, which struck 15 years ago on Jan. 12, 2010. Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 14 Jan. 2025 The Peekskill Central School District in New York is warning families of a disturbing new scam in which criminals use generative artificial intelligence to mimic children’s voices in an attempt to extort money from unsuspecting parents. Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 12 Jan. 2025 This week, nearly six decades later, the lyrics took on a disturbing resonance as the structure where the music originated burned to the ground. Amy Kaufman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for disturbing 

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of disturbing was in 1594

Dictionary Entries Near disturbing

Cite this Entry

“Disturbing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disturbing. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.

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Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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