disturbing

[ dih-stur-bing ]

adjective

1. upsetting or disquieting; dismaying:

   a disturbing increase in the crime rate.

Other Words From

• dis·turbing·ly adverb
• nondis·turbing adjective
• undis·turbing adjective
• undis·turbing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of disturbing¹

First recorded in 1585–95; disturb + -ing ²

Example Sentences

"By slightly disturbing, or 'nudging' these orbits, electrons could travel predictably across a device, carrying information from one end to the other."

From Science Daily

The killers participate in the re-enactments with apparent glee, leaving viewers with a disturbing picture of how readily brutality can be rationalized and repressed.

From New York Times

Among the most disturbing scenes in the film is one in which Matthews galvanizes a rally of white nationalists with a speech that ends with the room chanting, “Defeat never, victory forever.”

From Los Angeles Times

In her desperation, she visited a “clinic” offering an unconventional “treatment” - an outlandish and disturbing scam preying on women desperate to become mothers that involves the trafficking of babies.

From BBC

In one of her interviews, she spoke about a particularly disturbing memory she had of the violence that broke out between Hindus and Muslims.

From BBC

Related Words

• alarming
• annoying
• bothersome
• creepy
• depressing
• disconcerting
• discouraging
• distressing
• embarrassing
• frightening
• irritating
• ominous
• painful
• perplexing
• sinister
• startling
• threatening
• troublesome
• troubling
• unpleasant