disturb

EnglishEdit

EtymologyEdit

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”).

PronunciationEdit

  • (UK) IPA(key): /dɪsˈtɜːb/
  • Audio (US)
    		(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɜː(r)b

VerbEdit

disturb (third-person singular simple present disturbs, present participle disturbing, simple past and past participle disturbed)

  1. (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.
    The performance was disturbed twice by a ringing mobile phone.
    A school of fish disturbed the water.
  2. (transitive) to divert, redirect, or alter by disturbing.
    A mudslide disturbed the course of the river.
    The trauma disturbed his mind.
  3. (intransitive) to have a negative emotional impact; to cause emotional distress or confusion.
    A disturbing film that tries to explore the mind of a serial killer.
    His behaviour is very disturbing.

Derived termsEdit

TranslationsEdit

NounEdit

disturb

  1. (obsolete) disturbance
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