| Learning / English Dictionary |
DISTURBING
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
I. (adjective)
Sense 1
Meaning:
Causing distress or worry or anxiety
Example:
a worrying time
Synonyms:
distressful; distressing; disturbing; perturbing; troubling; worrisome; worrying
Classified under:
Similar:
heavy (marked by great psychological weight; weighted down especially with sadness or troubles or weariness)
II. (verb)
Sense 1
-ing form of the verb disturb
Context examples:
Miss Crawford appeared gratified by the application, and after a moment's thought, urged Fanny's returning with her in a much more cordial manner than before, and proposed their going up into her room, where they might have a comfortable coze, without disturbing Dr. and Mrs. Grant, who were together in the drawing-room.
(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)
A gigantic cavity - two-thirds the area of Manhattan and almost 1,000 feet (300 meters) tall - growing at the bottom of Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is one of several disturbing discoveries reported in a new NASA-led study of the disintegrating glacier.
(Huge Cavity in Antarctic Glacier Signals Rapid Decay, NASA)
The authors of the study have found a way to induce the synthesis of catalysts (Pd nanosheets with a thickness of just over one nanometre) inside tumour cell exosomes without disturbing the properties of their membranes—thus converting the exosomes into Trojan horses capable of delivering the catalyst to the progenitor cancer cells.
(Scientists successfully deliver “Trojan horse” catalysts into cancerous tumour cells to destroy them from within, Universities of Granada)
In the hope of diverting her father's thoughts from the disagreeableness of Mr. Knightley's going to London; and going so suddenly; and going on horseback, which she knew would be all very bad; Emma communicated her news of Jane Fairfax, and her dependence on the effect was justified; it supplied a very useful check,—interested, without disturbing him.
(Emma, by Jane Austen)
The researchers studied the venom composition, activities and toxicities of India’s neglected venomous snake species, including the monocled cobra (Naja kaouthia), Sochurek's saw-scaled viper (Echis carinatus sochureki), banded krait (Bungarus fasciatus), and Sind krait, and found that the standard Indian antivenom had disturbing deficiencies.
(‘India needs region-specific snakebite antivenoms’, SciDev.Net)
Miss Eyre, draw your chair still a little farther forward: you are yet too far back; I cannot see you without disturbing my position in this comfortable chair, which I have no mind to do.
(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)
He leaned against the chimney-piece, brooding so long that I could not decide whether to run the risk of disturbing him by going, or to remain quietly where I was, until he should come out of his reverie.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
Janet ventured to suggest that my aunt might be disturbing herself unnecessarily, and that she believed the donkey in question was then engaged in the sand-and-gravel line of business, and was not available for purposes of trespass.
(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)
