to interrupt the quiet, rest, peace, or order of; unsettle.
to interfere with; interrupt; hinder: Please do not disturb me when I'm working.
to interfere with the arrangement, order, or harmony of; disarrange: to disturb the papers on her desk.
to perplex; trouble: to be disturbed by strange behavior.
verb (used without object)
to cause disturbance to someone's sleep, rest, etc.: Do not disturb.
Origin of disturb
1175–1225; Middle English disto(u)rben, disturben<Anglo-French disto(u)rber, desturber<Latin disturbāre to demolish, upset, equivalent to dis-dis-1 + turbāre to confuse
SYNONYMS FOR disturb
1 bother, annoy, trouble, pester.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR disturb ON THESAURUS.COM
OTHER WORDS FROM disturb
dis·turb·er,nounpre·dis·turb,verb (used with object)
At some point, it got disturbed and fell inward toward the sun.
These Images Expose the Dark Side of the Solar System - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Corey S. Powell|August 26, 2020|Nautilus
PTIs can conduct light waves on their surface and edges rather than having them run through the material, and allow light to be redirected around corners without disturbing its flow.
6G Will Be 100 Times Faster Than 5G—and Now There’s a Chip for It|Vanessa Bates Ramirez|August 21, 2020|Singularity Hub
The onset of the pandemic, however, has disturbed this uneasy balance.
Inside China’s unexpected quest to protect data privacy|Tate Ryan-Mosley|August 19, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Major publications such as The New York Times and rights groups like Amnesty International echoed her disturbing eye-witness account.
The Great Lie of the First Gulf War|Mat Nashed|August 17, 2020|Ozy
Most of the 352 pits and other intentionally disturbed areas in La Mina contain remnants of ochre deposits, the researchers say.
Underwater caves once hosted the Americas’ oldest known ochre mines|Bruce Bower|July 3, 2020|Science News
They knew they might see things that will disturb them, but could not deter them from their duty.
Any Outrage Out There for Ramos and Liu, Protesters?|Mike Barnicle|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I disturb their efforts to get their children and the few clothes they have with them clean using hoses and battered buckets.
Turkish President Kisses Off Kurds Under Siege By ISIS|Jamie Dettmer|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He is carrying the briefcase as he enters the room, so still even in walking that he does not disturb the air around him.
The Stacks: The True Greatness of Muhammad Ali|Peter Richmond|February 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The house is eerily pristine and immaculately preserved; your visit is the only thing threatening to disturb it.
Seduced by Art & Beauty ‘At the House of Mr X’|Chloë Ashby|January 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The scenarios described above are enough to disturb even the most jaded.
More Shocking Than Online Suicides Are the Crowds Who Clamor to Watch|Caitlin Dickson|December 10, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He regarded their knowledge as humdrum, and it did not disturb him that they looked on his acquisitions as worthless.
Peggy Raymond's Vacation|Harriet L. (Harriet Lummis) Smith
It would be cruel to disturb her now with such a revelation of her own negligence.
The Price of Love|Arnold Bennett
They wished, in fact, to be considered as living in an atmosphere of dreams, and nobody offered to disturb them.
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. III, No. XVII, October 1851|Various
Anger or fear is often a nuisance in civilized life, and any strong emotion is apt to disturb mental work or skilled manual work.
Psychology|Robert S. Woodworth
One thing did disturb her; and of that she made her daily complaint.
Sense and Sensibility|Jane Austen
British Dictionary definitions for disturb
disturb
/ (dɪˈstɜːb) /
verb(tr)
to intrude on; interrupt
to destroy or interrupt the quietness or peace of
to disarrange; muddle
(often passive)to upset or agitate; troubleI am disturbed at your bad news
to inconvenience; put outdon't disturb yourself on my account
Derived forms of disturb
disturber, noun
Word Origin for disturb
C13: from Latin disturbāre, from dis-1 + turbāre to confuse