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 *twerH-, *(s)turH- ("to rotate, swirl, twirl, move around").

• (RP) IPA: /dɪˈstɜːb/
• (America) IPA: /dɪˈstɝb/

disturb (disturbs, present participle disturbing; simple past and past participle disturbed)

1. (transitive) to confuse a quiet, constant state or a calm, continuous flow, in particular: thoughts, actions or liquids.

   The noisy ventilation disturbed me during the exam.

   The performance was disturbed twice by a ringing mobile phone.

   A school of fish disturbed the water.

2. (transitive) to divert, redirect, or alter by disturbing.

   A mudslide disturbed the course of the river.

   The trauma disturbed his mind.

   • 1667, John Milton, “Book I”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗:

     disturb his inmost counsels from their destined aim

3. (intransitive) to have a negative emotional impact; to cause emotional distress or confusion.

• French: déranger, perturber, gêner
• German: stören
• Italian: disturbare
• Portuguese: perturbar
• Russian: меша́ть
• Spanish: perturbar, molestar

• French: perturber, déranger
• Russian: тревожить

disturb

1. (obsolete) disturbance
   • 1667, John Milton, “(please specify the page number)”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC ↗; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC ↗:

     Instant without disturb they took alarm