disturb
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
to interrupt someone when they are busy, sleeping, or need to be alone.
to interrupt a person's rest, privacy, or concentration. Transitive — takes a direct object.
Simple“Please do not disturb the baby while she is taking her nap.”
In context“The sign on the door requested that guests not disturb the meeting while the final negotiations were in progress.”
UsageOften used in the passive voice or as a polite request.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
to move something from its usual position or to change a quiet situation.
to interfere with the settled state or position of something. Transitive — takes a direct object.
Simple“The archaeologists were careful not to disturb the ancient bones in the grave.”
In context“Even a slight breeze can disturb the surface of the lake, ruining the perfect reflection of the mountains.”
UsageCommonly used in scientific or technical contexts regarding physical states.
- 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
to make someone feel worried, upset, or uncomfortable.
to cause emotional distress or mental unease. Transitive — takes a direct object.
Simple“The news about the accident disturbed her deeply for the rest of the day.”
In context“The graphic nature of the documentary disturbed many viewers, leading to several formal complaints to the network.”
“Andrew and Stevi Groetsch live less than a mile from the site and say the noise has woken them in the middle of the night and often disturbs bedtime stories with their kids.”
“One simple way to quiet those interruptions is to put up a digital Do Not Disturb sign.”
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”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.