Disturbed: meaning, definitions and examples

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disturbed

 

[ dɪˈstɜːrbd ]

Adjective
Context #1 | Adjective

feeling or showing distress

affected by an emotional disturbance; troubled or uneasy

Synonyms

perturbed, troubled, upset.

Examples of usage

  • He seemed disturbed by the news of her illness.
  • She looked disturbed and distracted.
Context #2 | Adjective

having the normal pattern or function interrupted

interrupted or impaired in a usual function

Synonyms

disrupted, impaired, interrupted.

Which Synonym Should You Choose?

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Word Description / Examples
disturbed

Use when describing someone who is emotionally or mentally troubled, or when someone is bothered or upset by something.

  • She was deeply disturbed by the news of the accident.
  • He is mentally disturbed and needs professional help.
disrupted

Use when describing a situation where normal operation or flow is broken or interrupted, often suddenly or unexpectedly.

  • The storm disrupted the power supply for several hours.
  • Their conversation was disrupted by a loud noise from the street.
interrupted

Use when describing a situation where someone or something is briefly stopped or hindered.

  • Their meeting was interrupted by a phone call.
  • She was interrupted by the sound of someone knocking on the door.
impaired

Use when referring to a reduced capability or function, often in a medical or technical context.

  • Her hearing is impaired and she needs a hearing aid.
  • The driver's vision was impaired by the bright sunlight.

Examples of usage

  • The disturbed behavior of the patient raised concerns.
  • The disturbed sleep patterns affected her performance.

Translations

Translations of the word "disturbed" in other languages:

🇵🇹 perturbado

🇮🇳 परेशान

🇩🇪 gestört

🇮🇩 terganggu

🇺🇦 занепокоєний

🇵🇱 zaniepokojony

🇯🇵 混乱した

🇫🇷 perturbé

🇪🇸 perturbado

🇹🇷 rahatsız

🇰🇷 혼란스러운

🇸🇦 منزعج

🇨🇿 znepokojený

🇸🇰 znepokojený

🇨🇳 扰乱的

🇸🇮 vznemirjen

🇮🇸 truflaður

🇰🇿 алаңдаған

🇬🇪 აღელვებული

🇦🇿 narahat

🇲🇽 perturbado

Etymology

The word 'disturbed' originated from the Latin word 'disturbare', which means 'to throw into disorder or confusion'. Over time, the word evolved to its current usage in English, referring to being troubled or interrupted in a normal function.

See also: disturb, disturbance, disturber, disturbing, disturbingly, undisturbed.

Word Frequency Rank

With rank #4,464, this word represents useful upper-intermediate vocabulary. Understanding and using it will help you express more complex ideas effectively.