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
Ghosts that wink could be scary but the face Sal makes is disturbing in other ways.
—Keith Phipps, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025
In cases where advertising is inevitable, some prefer ads that appeal on a personal level over messaging that can be inappropriate or, even, disturbing and offensive.
—ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
Series is set during the 1990s and follows a bride’s entry into her husband’s ancestral home, which is haunted by a disturbing pattern where no woman has made it out alive.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
Ward learned about a disturbing incident at a local beach where Selonia was swimming with little Reggie just days before the murder.
—Vladimir Duthiers, Paul Larosa, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for disturbing
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Keith Phipps, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2025
In cases where advertising is inevitable, some prefer ads that appeal on a personal level over messaging that can be inappropriate or, even, disturbing and offensive.
—ArsTechnica, 16 Apr. 2025
Series is set during the 1990s and follows a bride’s entry into her husband’s ancestral home, which is haunted by a disturbing pattern where no woman has made it out alive.
—Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2025
Ward learned about a disturbing incident at a local beach where Selonia was swimming with little Reggie just days before the murder.
—Vladimir Duthiers, Paul Larosa, CBS News, 12 Apr. 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 2 May. 2025.
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