# disturb

> English word · Verb · IPA /dɪˈstɜːb/ · frequency rank #13,703

## Definitions
1. to confuse a quiet, constant state or a calm, continuous flow, in particular: thoughts, actions or liquids.
2. to divert, redirect, or alter by disturbing.
3. to have a negative emotional impact; to cause emotional distress or confusion.

## Etymology
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 *(s)twerH-, *(s)turH- (“to rotate, swirl, twirl, move around”).

## Easily confused with
- **disturbed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/disturb-vs-disturbed)
- **distort** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/distort-vs-disturb)

## Common misspellings (11)
`ddisturb`, `dissturb`, `distrub`, `distturb`, `distubr`, `disturbb`, `disturrb`, `disutrb`, `ditsurb`, `dsiturb`, `idsturb`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/disturb