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Synonyms

disturbing

American  
[dih-stur-bing] / dɪˈstɜr bɪŋ /

adjective

  1. upsetting or disquieting; dismaying.

    a disturbing increase in the crime rate.


Other Word Forms

  • disturbingly adverb
  • nondisturbing adjective
  • undisturbing adjective
  • undisturbingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of disturbing

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

O'Neill described the events over the weekend as a "spiralling conflict" and "deeply disturbing".

From BBC

The Equality and Human Rights Commission said the accounts flagged by the BBC were "deeply disturbing", adding: "It's vital there are robust regulatory powers in the digital space to protect people from harm."

From BBC

Presenting the report to MPs, parliament majority leader Kimani Ichung'wah, described a "deeply disturbing" network of rogue state officials allegedly colluding with human trafficking syndicates to recruit and transport Kenyans.

From BBC

Bill Essayli called “a growing threat to American families” and “one of the most twisted and disturbing ideas to crawl out of the Internet.”

From Los Angeles Times

That may be the most disturbing aspect of all.

From Salon