DISTURB Synonyms: 273 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the verb 'disturb' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of disturb are agitate , discompose , disquiet , fluster , perturb , and upset . While all these words mean "to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action," disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption. // the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

Q: When is it sensible to use 'agitate' instead of 'disturb'?

In some situations, the words agitate and disturb are roughly equivalent. However, agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement. // in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

Q: When is 'discompose' a more appropriate choice than 'disturb'?

The synonyms discompose and disturb are sometimes interchangeable, but discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress. // discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

Q: When can 'disquiet' be used instead of 'disturb'?

The meanings of disquiet and disturb largely overlap; however, disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind. // the disquieting news of factories closing

Q: When would 'fluster' be a good substitute for 'disturb'?

While the synonyms fluster and disturb are close in meaning, fluster suggests bewildered agitation. // his declaration of love completely flustered her

Q: When could 'perturb' be used to replace 'disturb'?

Although the words perturb and disturb have much in common, perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions. // perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

Q: In what contexts can 'upset' take the place of 'disturb'?

The words upset and disturb can be used in similar contexts, but upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief. // the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

disturb

verb

di-ˈstərb

Definition of disturb

as in to bother

to trouble the mind of; to make uneasy all that talk of war disturbed us

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to remove

to change the place or position of the items on her desk had been disturbed by someone

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to disrupt

to undo the proper order or arrangement of her careful filing system is sure to be disturbed during the move

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to worry

to thrust oneself upon (another) without invitation sorry to disturb you while you're working

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in to weigh

to cause discomfort to or trouble for please do not disturb yourself—I'll get my own drink

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the verb disturb contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of disturb are agitate, discompose, disquiet, fluster, perturb, and upset. While all these words mean "to destroy capacity for collected thought or decisive action," disturb implies interference with one's mental processes caused by worry, perplexity, or interruption.

the discrepancy in accounts disturbed me

When is it sensible to use agitate instead of disturb?

In some situations, the words agitate and disturb are roughly equivalent. However, agitate suggests obvious external signs of nervous or emotional excitement.

in his agitated state we could see he was unable to work

When is discompose a more appropriate choice than disturb?

The synonyms discompose and disturb are sometimes interchangeable, but discompose implies some degree of loss of self-control or self-confidence especially through emotional stress.

discomposed by the loss of his beloved wife

When can disquiet be used instead of disturb?

The meanings of disquiet and disturb largely overlap; however, disquiet suggests loss of sense of security or peace of mind.

the disquieting news of factories closing

When would fluster be a good substitute for disturb?

While the synonyms fluster and disturb are close in meaning, fluster suggests bewildered agitation.

his declaration of love completely flustered her

When could perturb be used to replace disturb?

Although the words perturb and disturb have much in common, perturb implies deep disturbance of mind and emotions.

perturbed by her husband's strange behavior

In what contexts can upset take the place of disturb?

The words upset and disturb can be used in similar contexts, but upset implies the disturbance of normal or habitual functioning by disappointment, distress, or grief.

the family's constant bickering upsets the youngest child

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of disturb As one of the most effective natural sinks for carbon, peatlands could accelerate climate change if disturbed. — Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026 She was especially disturbed by the emotional vulnerability that someone could exploit when a person believes a relationship is genuine. — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 Police Chief Paul Joseph said at a press conference on Tuesday that Lieu had a criminal history involving firearms and disturbing behavior. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026 Slade could see why so many people were disturbed by what was being sold to them as progress. — Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for disturb

Recent Examples of Synonyms for disturb

Verb

The mathematics and computer science graduate, who spent two years in the Peace Corps, launched Netflix by mailing DVDs in red envelopes to customers bothered by Blockbuster Video chain’s practices and late fees.

— Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2026
Some people, like me, are bothered by such images but can mostly ignore them.

— Gabriela Galvin, Scientific American, 26 Oct. 2026

Definition of bother

Verb

Meanwhile, On and Dior have also reportedly removed Chinese promotional content featuring Mbappé, although neither had announced a global termination, according to Chinese news outlet Phoenix.

— Matthew Tan, CNBC, 28 Oct. 2026
That designation was removed last year by an outside counsel.

— Kate Armanini, Chicago Tribune, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of remove

Verb

Sectarian tensions and the disrupting force of the Cold War plunged the Middle Eastern nation into decades of armed conflict, with a chilling effect on daily life.

— Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
The team radio can disrupt Antonelli’s concentration, so Wolff told me that the engineers have learned how to use it less often, or with fewer words.

— Sam Knight, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of disrupt

Verb

Although officials have not released details about the cause of death, scientists agree that if it was caused by ordinary plague, the wider world has little to worry about.

— Faye Flam, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2026
Jason Henry | Bloomberg | Getty Images Anthropic’s IPO prospectus is chock-full of details for investors to celebrate — and worry about.

— Ashley Capoot, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of worry

Verb

Nvidia's flagship Vera Rubin product is a seven-foot rack containing 72 GPUs and weighing as much as a pickup truck.

— Kif Leswing,Isabel O'Brien, CNBC, 24 Oct. 2026
The salty bacon and fluffy eggs formed that classic breakfast flavor, while the potatoes added a satisfying heartiness without weighing the taco down.

— Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of weigh

Verb

In the 1960s, archaeologists carried out a massive project to dismantle and relocate the temple, moving it out of the path of rising waters created by the Aswan High Dam.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
Somewhere down the line, Sheridan relocated and retitled the show.

— Brayden Garcia, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of relocate

Verb

But the other Sullivan has said the decision to run was his own and denied his candidacy was intended to confuse voters or siphon votes in Republican Sullivan's tight race against Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman.

— Willem Marx, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Christina Applegate’s recent revelation that she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis is raising questions about how the disease can be confused with other conditions even after years of treatment.

— Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of confuse

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distrusts

disturb

disturbance

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“Disturb.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/disturb. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of disturb

verb

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