disturbance
noun
dis·tur·bance
di-ˈstər-bən(t)s 
plural disturbances
1
: the act of disturbing someone or something : the state of being disturbed: such as
a
: an interruption of a state of peace, quiet, or calm
His choler rose in proportion to the surprise, and, perhaps, to the disturbance of his repose.—
Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott… a caller reported loud music causing a disturbance …—Saugus (Massachusetts) Advertiser
Saugus (Massachusetts) AdvertiserThey were charged with disturbance of the peace.
b(1)
: an interference with or alteration in a planned, ordered, or usual procedure, state, or habit
He was still suffering from this sudden disturbance of the quiet routine of his life.—Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan DoyleImpacts inflicted by mining … include … disturbance of wildlife habitat …—Todd Wilkinson
Todd Wilkinson
(2)
: a moving out of place
Bruce was particular about his things and would notice any slight disturbance to his stuff …—Tegan Quin
Tegan QuinThese latter circumstances … may, I think, be accounted for, by the disturbance of the mud at the bottom of the sea …—Charles Darwin
Charles Darwin
c
: a departure from a norm or standard : a deviation, disruption, or impairment in form, function, or activity
sleep disturbances
endocrine disturbances
Once identified as having an emotional disturbance with associated behavior problems, it's considered best practice for the child to get a behavior intervention plan …—Patrick Skahil and David Desroches
Patrick Skahil and David DesrochesIdentifying coronavirus' economic effects combined with other major economic disturbances requires accurate data …—Bruce Yandle
Bruce Yandle2
: noisy or violent activity : commotion
Police responding to complaints of a loud disturbance in a parking lot … found 15 to 20 teenagers gathered …—R. Robin McDonald
R. Robin McDonald3
: a local variation from the average or normal wind conditions
Synonyms
- ado
- alarums and excursions
- ballyhoo
- blather
- bluster
- bobbery
- bother
- bustle
- clatter
- clutter [chiefly dialect]
- coil
- commotion
- corroboree [Australian]
- do [chiefly dialect]
- foofaraw
- fun
- furor
- furore
- fuss
- helter-skelter
- hoo-ha
- hoo-hah
- hoopla
- hubble-bubble
- hubbub
- hullabaloo
- hurly
- hurly-burly
- hurricane
- hurry
- hurry-scurry
- hurry-skurry
- kerfuffle [chiefly British]
- moil
- pandemonium
- pother
- row
- ruckus
- ruction
- rumpus
- shindy
- splore [Scottish]
- squall
- stew
- stir
- storm
- to-do
- tumult
- turmoil
- uproar
- welter
- whirl
- williwaw
- zoo
Examples of disturbance in a Sentence
She doesn't want any more disturbances while she is studying.
He reacts badly to disturbance of his daily routine.
Fish are able to detect even slight disturbances in the water.
Disturbance of the river's sediment causes cloudy water.
Neighbors called the police to report a disturbance.
They were arrested for creating a disturbance.
The violence that soldiers experience in war can lead to emotional disturbance in later years.
Recent Examples on the Web
Quantum physics explains how extremely small objects simultaneously have characteristics of both particles (tiny pieces of matter) and waves (a disturbance or variation that transfers energy).
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2024
The greatest disturbance for these bats are humans disturbing hibernating colonies.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Apr. 2024
The officers didn’t find the disturbance and left without filing a report.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024
This is due to narrow, steep sections within inner-Canyon trails, unpredictable pet behavior, wildlife disturbance, and attracting predators, park services said.
—Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 13 Apr. 2024
The disturbance prompted the Parliament’s president to call for calm.
—Beatriz Ríos, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
But a lot of people just don’t know what sea otter disturbance looks like, explains Bentall.
—Olivia Ferrari, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024
Elmore said cover cropping, which covers and enriches the soil outside the growing season, and no-till farming, which minimizes soil disturbance, can be useful.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
California Poppy: Nerve Control 911 contains 45mg of California poppy seed to relieve nerve pain, blood vessel problems, and sleep and mood disturbances.
—Andrew Price, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Apr. 2024
The greatest disturbance for these bats are humans disturbing hibernating colonies.
—Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 16 Apr. 2024
The officers didn’t find the disturbance and left without filing a report.
—Grethel Aguila, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2024
This is due to narrow, steep sections within inner-Canyon trails, unpredictable pet behavior, wildlife disturbance, and attracting predators, park services said.
—Coleby Phillips, The Arizona Republic, 13 Apr. 2024
The disturbance prompted the Parliament’s president to call for calm.
—Beatriz Ríos, Washington Post, 10 Apr. 2024
But a lot of people just don’t know what sea otter disturbance looks like, explains Bentall.
—Olivia Ferrari, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024
Elmore said cover cropping, which covers and enriches the soil outside the growing season, and no-till farming, which minimizes soil disturbance, can be useful.
—Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 3 Apr. 2024
California Poppy: Nerve Control 911 contains 45mg of California poppy seed to relieve nerve pain, blood vessel problems, and sleep and mood disturbances.
—Andrew Price, Discover Magazine, 3 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'disturbance.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near disturbance
Cite this Entry
“Disturbance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disturbance. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
disturbance
noun
dis·tur·bance
dis-ˈtər-bən(t)s
: a deviation, disruption, or impairment in form, function, or activity
visual disturbances
disturbances of metabolism
Emotional disturbance is one of the 13 disabilities schools use to identify students who may receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, or IDEA, the federal special education law.—Howard Weiss-Tisman, Brattleboro (Vermont) Reformer
Howard Weiss-Tisman, Brattleboro (Vermont) ReformerLove words? Need even more definitions?
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