disturbance

B1 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /dɪˈstɜɹ.bəns/ UK /dɪˈstɜː.bəns/ See IPA manual

Freq #9319

Meanings

1

noun
Something that interrupts a normal, peaceful, or regular situation.

The building work caused a constant disturbance in the neighbourhood.
2

noun
A noisy or violent incident in a public place.

Police were called to deal with a disturbance outside the bar.
3

noun
A state of worry or trouble in the mind.

The therapy helped ease his emotional disturbance.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 noun · a noisy or violent incident... affray

3 noun · a state of worry or trouble... perturbation

Opposites

calmness rumpus

Word family

Forms disturbances

Derived forms antidisturbanceindisturbancenondisturbancepredisturbanceredisturbanceundisturbance

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

seismic disturbance
a shaking or movement of the Earth's crust

Adjective + noun

Etymology

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

disturbaunce Middle English destorbance Old French disturbō Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas

External links

# disturbance

**Type:** Word
**Level:** B1
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /dɪˈstɜɹ.bəns/
**IPA (UK):** /dɪˈstɜː.bəns/
**Frequency rank:** 9319

## Meanings
1. Something that interrupts a normal, peaceful, or regular situation.
2. A noisy or violent incident in a public place.
3. A state of worry or trouble in the mind.

## Examples
- The building work caused a constant disturbance in the neighbourhood.
- Police were called to deal with a disturbance outside the bar.
- The therapy helped ease his emotional disturbance.

## Antonyms
- calmness
- rumpus

## Derived Forms
- antidisturbance
- indisturbance
- nondisturbance
- predisturbance
- redisturbance
- undisturbance

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: disturbaunce
- Root: destorbance
- Root: disturbō

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

## AI Etymology
Disturbance comes from Middle English disturbaunce, from Old French destorbance, destourbance, from destourber (“disturb”), from Latin disturbō. By surface analysis, disturb + -ance. In current use, the main senses are “Something that interrupts a normal, peaceful, or regular situation” and “A noisy or violent incident in a public place”.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas

markdown