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disturbance

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disturbance

  • /dɪˈstɜː.bəns/ Australia, UK
  • [dɪˈstɜːbn̩s] Australia, UK
  • /dɪˈstɜɹ.bəns/ Canada, US
  • [dɪˈstɝbn̩s] Canada, US

Where it comes from

From Middle English disturbaunce, from Old French destorbance, destourbance, from destourber (“disturb”), from Latin disturbō. By surface analysis, disturb + -ance.

noun disturbances · disturbaunce

  1. countable, uncountable The act of disturbing, being disturbed.
  2. countable, uncountable Something that disturbs. That guy causes a lot of trouble, you know, he’s such a disturbance.
  3. countable, uncountable A noisy commotion that causes a hubbub or interruption.

    Similar: shindy

  4. countable, uncountable An interruption of that which is normal or regular. Phoenix and Lubbock are both caught in severe drought, and it is going to get much worse. We may see many such [dust] storms in the decades ahead, along with species extinctions, radical disturbance of ecosystems, and intensified social conflict over land and water. Welcome to the Anthropocene, the
  5. countable, uncountable A serious mental imbalance or illness.

Opposite: calmness, rumpus

Thesaurus

Closest in meaning: turmoil, affray, perturbation, upset, to-do, commotion, noise, stir, disruption, interference, fray, mental disorder, ruffle, hurly burly, mental disturbance, disturb

noun

Opposite: calmness, rumpus

Translations

Every language

noun act of disturbing, being disturbed

Españoldisturbio, estorbo, perturbación
日本語動乱 dōran, 動揺 dōyō
Kiswahiliutundu
Portuguêsestorvo, perturbação
Françaistrouble, tapage
DeutschStörung
Românăderanjare, tulburare, perturbare
Русскийбеспоря́дки besporjádki, волне́ния volnénija
עבריתהפרעה hafra'a

noun something that disturbs

Españolestorbo, perturbación
Portuguêsestorvo, perturbação
DeutschStörenfried
Românăderanj, încomodare
Русскийнаруши́тель narušítelʹ, наруши́тельница narušítelʹnica

noun a noisy commotion

हिन्दीहुड़दंग huṛdaṅg

noun interruption of that which is normal or regular

Españolperturbación
日本語混乱 konran
Portuguêsperturbação
DeutschStörung
Românăperturbare, perturbație, deranjament
Русскийрасстро́йство rasstrójstvo, наруше́ние narušénije

noun (psychology) serious mental imbalance or illness

Españolperturbación, trastorno
Portuguêsdistúrbio, transtorno
DeutschStörung, Geistesstörung
Românătulburare, perturbație
Русскийрасстро́йство rasstrójstvo

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MLA

"disturbance." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/disturbance. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

disturbance. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/disturbance

Chicago

"disturbance." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/disturbance.

BibTeX
@misc{disturbance_2026,
  title = {disturbance},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/disturbance},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}