disturb
gb/dɪstˈɚb/ us/dɪstˈɚb/
B1
English
~ 3000
zavar, megzavar, felzaklat, nyugtalanít, megbolygat
VERB
B1
1
Usage pattern:
to disturb [someone]
Please don't disturb me while I'm studying.
Kérlek, ne zavarj, amíg tanulok.
The noise from the street disturbed her concentration.
Az utcáról beszűrődő zaj megzavarta a koncentrációját.
I hope I'm not disturbing you by calling so late.
He didn't want to disturb the sleeping baby.
Learner examples
Please do not disturb me now.
Kérlek, most ne zavarj.
The loud music disturbed him.
A hangos zene zavarta.
I don't want to disturb your work.
She disturbed me while I was reading.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'disturb' with 'bother'. While similar, 'disturb' more strongly implies interrupting an action or state of rest.
Meaning
Interrupt someone's activity or peace
Collocations
disturb the peace
|disturb someone at work
|disturb a meeting
|disturb sleep
Synonyms
interrupt (Implies breaking into an ongoing activity, often by speaking or acting suddenly.)
Antonyms
leave alone (Means not to bother or interfere with someone.)
Themes
daily life
|emotions
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To stop someone from working, resting, or thinking by making them pay attention to you or something else.
To interrupt or interfere with someone so that they stop what they are doing or lose focus.
VERB
B2
2
felzaklat
B2
nyugtalanít
B2
Usage pattern:
to disturb [someone]
The news of the accident disturbed her greatly.
A baleset híre nagyon felzaklatta.
Some scenes in the movie may disturb younger viewers.
A film egyes jelenetei felzaklathatják a fiatalabb nézőket.
It disturbed me to hear about the violence.
Learner examples
The bad news disturbed him.
A rossz hír felzaklatta.
The scary story disturbed her.
A félelmetes történet felzaklatta.
Loud fights disturb me.
Common mistake:
Learners may overuse 'disturb' in casual contexts where 'worry' or 'make sad' is more natural.
Meaning
Cause worry or upset
Collocations
deeply disturb
|emotionally disturb
|disturb the public
Synonyms
upset (A general term for causing emotional distress, often softer than 'disturb'.)
Antonyms
reassure (Means to remove worry or fear from someone.)
Themes
emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To make someone feel bad, scared, or worried.
To make someone feel anxious, upset, or worried.
VERB
B2
3
megbolygat
B2
Usage pattern:
to disturb [something]
Don't disturb the papers on my desk.
Ne bolygasd meg az asztalomon lévő papírokat.
The wind disturbed the calm surface of the lake.
A szél megbolygatta a tó nyugodt felszínét.
She carefully closed the box so as not to disturb its contents.
Learner examples
Do not disturb the books.
Ne bolygasd meg a könyveket.
The wind disturbed the water.
A szél megbolygatta a vizet.
He disturbed the sand with his foot.
Meaning
Change normal order or position
Collocations
disturb the arrangement
|disturb the surface
|disturb the soil
Synonyms
disrupt (Often used for systems or processes; 'disturb' can be more physical and small-scale.)
Antonyms
leave intact (Means not to alter or move something from its original state.)
Themes
daily life
|daily_life
|core_vocabulary
Definition
To move something so it is not in its normal place or order.
To move, alter, or mess up something from its original position or arrangement.
Grammar
Dictionary form
disturb
IPA
GB/dɪstˈɚb/
US/dɪstˈɚb/
Syllables & stress
dis - turb (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (turb)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: disturb
- 3rd Person Singular: disturbs
- Present Participle: disturbing
- Past: disturbed
Word family
Forms
disturbs
verb
disturbing
verb
disturbed
verb
Core family
disturbance
noun B1
Related words
disturbingly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
undisturbed
adjective
Expressions
disturb the peace
1/dɪstˈɚb ðə pˈis/
fixed phrase
Make noise or trouble in public places
To make loud noise or cause trouble in a public place, breaking the law or rules.
Examples
- He was arrested for disturbing the peace after shouting in the street.
- The neighbors complained that they were disturbing the peace with their party.
do not disturb
1/dˈu nˈɑt dɪstˈɚb/
fixed phrase
Instruction to not interrupt someone
A sign or message telling people not to interrupt you.
Examples
- I put a 'Do Not Disturb' sign on my hotel door.
- Please set your phone to 'Do Not Disturb' during the meeting.