disturbdis‧turb /dɪˈstɜːb $ -ɜːrb/ ●●○ W3 verb [transitive] 
Entry menu Examples
Sorry to disturb you, but I have an urgent message. The thieves fled when they were disturbed by a neighbour. Do not disturb (=a sign you put on a door so that people will not interrupt you).2worry to make someone feel worried or upset: What disturbs you most about this latest development?3move to move something or change its position: If you find a bird’s nest, never disturb the eggs. I promise not to disturb anything.4change to change a normal situation in a way that causes problems: My hormone balance is disturbed by my pregnancy. New procedures often disturb the comfortable habits of the workforce.5disturb the peace law to behave in a noisy and unpleasant way in publicCOLLOCATIONSnounsdisturb somebody's sleep· Local people said their sleep was being disturbed by the noise from the aircraft.disturb somebody's concentration· I couldn't work with the kids around disturbing my concentration.disturb somebody's thoughts· A gentle knock on the door disturbed his thoughts.phrasessorry to disturb you spoken (=said to apologize for interrupting what someone is doing)· Sorry to disturb you, but could you sign this letter, please?
Entry menuMENU FOR disturbdisturb1 interrupt2 worry3 move4 change5 disturb the peace
Word OriginWORD ORIGINdisturb
Verb TableOrigin:
1100-1200 Old French destourber, from Latin turbare ‘to put into disorder’VERB TABLE
disturb
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | disturb |
| he, she, it | disturbs | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | disturbed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have disturbed |
| he, she, it | has disturbed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had disturbed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will disturb |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have disturbed |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am disturbing |
| he, she, it | is disturbing | |
| you, we, they | are disturbing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was disturbing |
| you, we, they | were disturbing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been disturbing |
| he, she, it | has been disturbing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been disturbing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be disturbing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been disturbing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- Before closing the door to his office, he told his secretary that he was not to be disturbed.
- Cutting down rainforests disturbs the Earth's balance.
- I got undressed in the bathroom to avoid disturbing her.
- I hope my snoring won't disturb you too much.
- It is thought that the intruder was disturbed by a barking dog.
- Loud frogs are disturbing the sleep of local home owners.
- Please avoid disturbing me during the day unless it's an emergency.
- Sorry to disturb you, but could I ask a quick question?
- The high rate of teenage pregnancy disturbs me a great deal.
- Try not to disturb your dad - he's working.
- When drying the flowers, be careful not to disturb the petals.
- Dash had looked up from his phone one day and seen a growing bureaucracy, and it disturbed him.
- Marquez concluded that the generally disturbed conditions were conducive to his plan.
- Terris does not seem to mind the electricians who undoubtedly disturb him on his preserve.
- The global health scene has been characterised by major steps forward but with some disturbing retrograde features.
- The study also showed a disturbing trend in another area: hours worked.
- These injuries disturb me, for they indicate that some unorthodox methods were being tried.
THESAURUSwhen someone is doing something► interrupt
Collocations [intransitive, transitive] to stop someone from continuing to do something: · Miss Danziger apologised for interrupting their enjoyment of their meal.· My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the doorbell.· His interview was interrupted by a call from the president.
► disturb to interrupt someone when they are trying to work, sleep etc: · The sign on the door said ‘Do not disturb. Meeting in progress’.· I hope I’m not disturbing you. Do you want me to come back later?· Her sleep was disturbed by a violent hammering on the door.
► bother to interrupt someone, especially by asking questions when they are trying to do something else: · ‘I’m very sorry to bother you,’ Jackson said smoothly, ‘but I’d like a few minutes of your time.’· You mustn’t bother him - he’s working on his essay.
Longman Language Activatorto disturb someone so that they cannot continue what they are doing► disturb to stop someone when they are working, talking, or having a meeting, especially because you want to ask a question or tell them something: · Sorry to disturb you, but could I ask a quick question?· Try not to disturb your dad - he's working.· Before closing the door to his office, he told his secretary that he was not to be disturbed.
► interrupt to stop someone when they are working, talking, or having a meeting, especially because you want to ask them a question or tell them something: · Don't interrupt - I haven't finished yet.· I'm sorry to interrupt your meeting, but may I speak with Michael for a moment?· While I was giving my report, some guy in the back kept interrupting me every two minutes.
► bother to disturb someone who is doing something, especially in a way that is annoying: · Will you stop bothering me? I'm trying to watch a program.· Sorry to bother you, but could you help me one more time with the copier?· Don't bother Ellen while she's reading.
► distract to stop someone who is trying to work, study, or read, by making them look at or listen to something else: · Don't distract your father while he's driving.· The couple behind us kept distracting everyone by talking during the movie.· I was distracted by the sound of a car alarm in the street.
► put somebody off British to make it difficult for someone to do something, by preventing them from paying attention and thinking clearly about what they are doing: · Seles couldn't concentrate on the game - the photographers were putting her off.
► break somebody's train of thought to disturb someone so that they forget what they were thinking about: · The phone rang, breaking my train of thought.· I sat very still, not wanting to break her train of thought.
to disturb a situation or event► disrupt to disturb a situation, system, event etc, so that it cannot happen or work in its usual way: · The aim of the strike was to disrupt rail services as much as possible.· The protest disrupted the Democratic convention Saturday, nearly forcing its cancellation.· Moving schools frequently can disrupt a child's education.· Hecklers repeatedly disrupted Duke's news conference, calling him a liar and a fascist.
► upset to disturb a plan, situation, relationship etc, especially so that people feel confused or angry: · Young children don't like anything which upsets their daily routine.· The closing of the plant threatens to upset the local economy.· Rowan said this latest outbreak of violence could upset the peace talks.
► break up: break up a meeting/demonstration/march etc deliberately disturb it or prevent it from continuing, especially in a violent way: break up something: · Police broke up the demonstration with tear gas.· The conference was broken up by animal rights campaigners.break something up: · Breaking meetings up and harassing party members are just some of the tactics our opponents have used.
► disturb to disturb an organized event or a peaceful situation, for example by making a lot of noise or arguing with someone: · Loud frogs are disturbing the sleep of local home owners.· It is thought that the intruder was disturbed by a barking dog.
to make someone stop sleeping► wake/wake up · Be quiet or you'll wake my parents.· We were woken by a loud banging on the door.· He shook her arm to try and wake her.wake somebody up · The alarm clock woke me up at 8 o'clock.· Why didn't you wake me up this morning? I was late for work.wake up somebody · They were making enough noise to wake up the whole street!wake up! spoken (=what you say to someone when you want to stop them sleeping) · Come on honey, wake up! You'll be late!
► disturb to accidentally wake someone who is sleeping, by making a noise or movement: · I got undressed in the bathroom to avoid disturbing her.· I hope my snoring won't disturb you too much.
► rouse formal to wake someone with difficulty because they are sleeping very deeply: · He found Paula fast asleep in bed, and nothing would rouse her.rouse somebody from their sleep/slumbers: · I was roused from my sleep by the sound of a door banging shut.
► get somebody up/get somebody out of bed to wake someone up and make them get out of their bed: · Go and get your brother up. It's time for him to go to work.· Did you get me up just to tell me that?· I'm sorry for calling so early - I hope I didn't get you out of bed.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYnouns► disturb somebody's sleep
Phrases· Local people said their sleep was being disturbed by the noise from the aircraft.
► disturb somebody's concentration· I couldn't work with the kids around disturbing my concentration.
► disturb somebody's thoughts· A gentle knock on the door disturbed his thoughts.
phrases► sorry to disturb you spoken (=said to apologize for interrupting what someone is doing)· Sorry to disturb you, but could you sign this letter, please?
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► a worrying/disturbing aspect· The worrying aspect is that it gets worse every year.
► disturb somebody’s concentration· She slipped out of the room, trying not to disturb his concentration.
► disturb the peace (=end or spoil it)· Only church bells disturbed the peace.
► disturb the silence (=end the silence by making a sound)· Nothing moved, no sound disturbed the silence.
► horrible/disturbing thought· A horrible thought struck her: could he be having an affair?
► an alarming/worrying/disturbing trend· I have detected a worrying trend of late.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► deeply· For the landed nobility, the impact of Emancipation was deeply disturbing.· I was deeply disturbed at this.· Einstein was deeply disturbed by the implications of this collapse, and he refused to believe that it happened.· I was deeply disturbed by this and quite convinced that it would lead to serious trouble.· These out-of-position stars indicate that something has deeply disturbed the way things were in the galaxy.· Had they been deeply disturbed from birth?
► emotionally· Most parents and teachers believe that mOst work-inhibited students are not severely emotionally disturbed.· I ask Val-does Casey believe he is emotionally disturbed?· Anyway, what she does is work with emotionally disturbed people, teaching them to express their innermost feelings through poetry.· After three months he moved to a half way house for the emotionally disturbed.· Some 10, 000 seriously emotionally disturbed children under age 18 receive behavioral health services.· They managed to shift about half of the mentally retarded and emotionally disturbed patients to homes and less restrictive programs.· But it is a skill to be learned and practiced by the teacher / library media specialist of the emotionally disturbed.· They included the emotionally disturbed, the retarded and the neurologically damaged.
► greatly· I couldn't possibly know, but that outburst, understandable as it was, greatly disturbed me.· Despite it, I am quite satisfied that their evenings, their sleep and their general comfort were greatly disturbed.· And man, lacking such things as machinery, petroleum, pesticides, etc, did not greatly disturb the environment.
► mentally· She was labeled mentally disturbed and put in the psychiatric ward of a small hospital without any administrative procedure.· Some of the women are mentally disturbed.· The judgment could lead to the release of dozens of mentally disturbed offenders from high-security hospitals.· I knew that meant mentally disturbed.· That, the court heard, gave him the chance to study the behaviour of people who really were mentally disturbed.· But it is hard for students who have lost their parents or are mentally disturbed.· Her biggest victory came when a court ruled in May that she is not mentally disturbed.
► more· This close it was more disturbing than ever.· It is even more disturbing that job market trends in the mid-1990s pulled down new groups of workers.· Even more disturbing is the culling carried out to protect crops, for example in orchards in the Perth Hills.· The children became wild, and the atmosphere from day to day grew more disturbing to the rest of the school.· The other sound was more disturbing still-a faint yet piercing scream, or howl.· At the Esquire Theater more disturbing things happen.· When he took a green ribbon from her and tied it loosely round his waist, Joseph was even more disturbed.· He was more disturbed than that, but I was unable to perceive it.
► most· This was, of course, most disturbing to her parents.· By far the most disturbing aspect of this corruption is the country's reluctance to punish any of the culprits.· Regardless of race or class, what people were most disturbed about was the declining quality of their schools.· However, the most disturbing corruption scandals have concerned not politicians but sportsmen.· But the most disturbing aspect was the Bay Area consternation about Flood.· And, most disturbing, Hayley's Mystery Sausage.· It came as a flash, a most disturbing insight.
► particularly· The situation was particularly disturbing in the state of Bihar, which alone accounted for three-quarters of the latter group.· But I find them particularly disturbing when related to the death of a refugee seeking asylum in Britain.· It is particularly disturbed by the imminent introduction of fish which have been fed with mammalian growth hormones.
► very· Female speaker I am very disturbed by people who are therapists who seem to be divulging private information about their clients.· This is a very disturbing story.· It has come down to personalities and Julia is very disturbed by it all.· And there is another very disturbing note.· This boy, as I have said, is clearly very disturbed.· That is, they resist three very disturbing experiences: 1.
NOUN► peace· Kenneth Jackson's crooning struck a wrong note with police who arrested him for allegedly disturbing the peace.· Unfortunately, thoughts of the future Mrs Blue occasionally disturb his growing peace of mind.· Riders heard disturbing the peace will have their registrations noted, and these will then be passed on to the police.· When she none the less returned to school, the board president had her arrested for disturbing the peace.· It disturbed his peace of mind.· I was also frightened that she wrote to accuse me of disturbing her peace.· She promised herself never again to disturb the peace of this man's life.
► sleep· A late crow said a word as her entry through the open drive gate disturbed his first sleep.· Conversely, disturbed sleep patterns can cause periods to become irregular or stop altogether.· For several nights afterwards nightmares of violence and death disturbed normally peaceful sleep.· The Catskills peace and quiet deep Have been too much disturbed for sleep.· Do not disturb this sleep unless there are other indications that the child is not sleeping a peaceful, healing sleep.· A frequently cited study conducted in Los Angeles yielded some interesting results concerning noise and how it disturbs sleep.· Afterward, he lay beside her, not moving, not wanting to disturb the deep sleep into which Nina usually drifted.· Playing Desert Storm on my Sega console had not only eroded my morals, it had disturbed my beauty sleep.
VERB► find· Officers found a disturbing pattern of abuse at the Bristol homes, and the investigation was expanded.· Agents have also found other disturbing signs.· But I find them particularly disturbing when related to the death of a refugee seeking asylum in Britain.· If you find these facts disturbing or hard to believe, do not worry.· I found it a bit disturbing sometimes but I just had to accept it.· That finding could be disturbing, because such women run a higher risk.· Although it has now become a way of life, I still find it disturbing.· It was a state Riley found disturbing, although Nyrene was more used to it.
► hate· Martin I hate to disturb you when you're cooking the books, but there's a delivery.
► seem· If this frankness made Ramsay a little uncomfortable, it did not seem to disturb the others.· It seemed a pity to disturb them as we went about our daily chores.· Her movement seemed to disturb fitzAlan.· Though his message seemed eccentric and even disturbing to many, Turner climbed in church ranks.· It seems a grand truth now, though in the morning it may not seem worth disturbing her for.
► want· I didn't want to disturb you.· There were times he would retreat to his attic room and not want to be disturbed.· It is a time when people, putting off the reality of Monday morning, don't want to be disturbed.· If he was working she didn't want to disturb him.· I didn't want to disturb the family at a moment like this so I came to check in person.· You don't want us united, disturbing your cosy control.· She tried not to make a sound, because she didn't want to disturb her husband.· You might imagine that the Government doesn't want to disturb this particular can of invertebrate, limbless burrowing creatures.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► disturb the peacePHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► I hate to ask/interrupt/disturb etc► disturb the peace
Word family- Foreigners are seen to contaminate their precious homogeneity and disturb the peace.
- Here a total sense of calm prevails and only church bells disturb the peace.
- In 1668 he found himself in gaol once again, this time on a charge of disturbing the peace.
- Kenneth Jackson's crooning struck a wrong note with police who arrested him for allegedly disturbing the peace.
- Riders heard disturbing the peace will have their registrations noted, and these will then be passed on to the police.
- She promised herself never again to disturb the peace of this man's life.
- The accused batterer was fined $ 150 for disturbing the peace.
- When she none the less returned to school, the board president had her arrested for disturbing the peace.
- Martin I hate to disturb you when you're cooking the books, but there's a delivery.
- Foreigners are seen to contaminate their precious homogeneity and disturb the peace.
- Here a total sense of calm prevails and only church bells disturb the peace.
- In 1668 he found himself in gaol once again, this time on a charge of disturbing the peace.
- Kenneth Jackson's crooning struck a wrong note with police who arrested him for allegedly disturbing the peace.
- Riders heard disturbing the peace will have their registrations noted, and these will then be passed on to the police.
- She promised herself never again to disturb the peace of this man's life.
- The accused batterer was fined $ 150 for disturbing the peace.
- When she none the less returned to school, the board president had her arrested for disturbing the peace.
WORD FAMILYadjectivedisturbed ≠ undisturbeddisturbingnoundisturbanceverbdisturbadverbdisturbingly
1interrupt to interrupt someone so that they cannot continue what they are doing: Sorry to disturb you, but I have an urgent message. The thieves fled when they were disturbed by a neighbour. Do not disturb (=a sign you put on a door so that people will not interrupt you).2worry to make someone feel worried or upset: What disturbs you most about this latest development?3move to move something or change its position: If you find a bird’s nest, never disturb the eggs. I promise not to disturb anything.4change to change a normal situation in a way that causes problems: My hormone balance is disturbed by my pregnancy. New procedures often disturb the comfortable habits of the workforce.5disturb the peace law to behave in a noisy and unpleasant way in publicCOLLOCATIONSnounsdisturb somebody's sleep· Local people said their sleep was being disturbed by the noise from the aircraft.disturb somebody's concentration· I couldn't work with the kids around disturbing my concentration.disturb somebody's thoughts· A gentle knock on the door disturbed his thoughts.phrasessorry to disturb you spoken (=said to apologize for interrupting what someone is doing)· Sorry to disturb you, but could you sign this letter, please?