disturb
UK /dɪˈstɜːb/ · US /dɪˈstɝb/ verb, noun
Forms disturbs disturbing disturbed
- verb (transitive) to confuse a quiet, constant state or a calm, continuous flow, in particular: thoughts, actions or liquids. “The noisy ventilation disturbed me during the exam.”
- verb (transitive) to divert, redirect, or alter by disturbing. “A mudslide disturbed the course of the river.”
- verb (intransitive) to have a negative emotional impact; to cause emotional distress or confusion.
- noun (obsolete) disturbance
Synonyms
perturb unsettle agitate freak sting bother bring down discompose unstring disconcert enturbulate mortify put out ruffle throw off balance upset flurry muddle roil trouble vex commove shake up stir up raise up touch interrupt
Etymology
From Middle English destourben, from Anglo-Norman distourber and Old French destorber, from Latin disturbare, intensifying for turbare (“to throw into disorder”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)twerH-, *(s)turH- (“to rotate, swirl, twirl, move around”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To throw into disorder or confusion; to derange; to interrupt the settled state of; to excite from a state of rest.
- verb To agitate the mind of; to deprive of tranquillity; to disquiet; to render uneasy; as, a person is disturbed by receiving an insult, or his mind is disturbed by envy.
- noun Disturbance. [Obs.] Milton.
Etymology [OE. desturben, destourben, OF. destorber, desturber, destourber, fr. L. disturbare, disturbatum; dis- + turbare to disturb, trouble, turba disorder, tumult, crowd. See Turbid.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “disturb”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details