Added 5 October 2026
disturb
/dɪˈstɜːb/ verb
In Latin: turbō Wiktionary
verb Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about disturb at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
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.
-
to divert, redirect, or alter by disturbing.
A mudslide disturbed the course of the river.
- to have a negative emotional impact; to cause emotional distress or confusion.
noun
Origin
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”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)