disturb

Word family

dis·turb /dɪˈstɜːb $ -ɜːrb/ W3 verb [transitiveT]

1 interrupt 打扰DISTURB to interrupt someone so that they cannot continue what they are doing 干扰，打扰，使中断

Sorry to disturb you, but I have an urgent message.

对不起打扰一下，我有个紧急消息。

The thieves fled when they were disturbed by a neighbour.

窃贼们被一名邻居惊动后逃跑了。

Do not disturb (=a sign you put on a door so that people will not interrupt you).

请勿打扰。

2 worry 担忧WORRIED to make someone feel worried or upset 使焦虑，使担心

What disturbs you most about this latest development?

最新的事态发展中让你最担心的是什么？

3 move 移动MOVE something OR somebody to move something or change its position 挪动，移动，改变〔某物的〕位置

If you find a bird’s nest, never disturb the eggs.

如果你发现鸟巢，千万别去动鸟蛋。

I promise not to disturb anything.

我答应什么都不动。

4 change 改变 to change a normal situation in a way that causes problems 干扰，扰乱〔常态〕

My hormone balance is disturbed by my pregnancy.

怀孕打乱了我的荷尔蒙平衡。

New procedures often disturb the comfortable habits of the workforce.

新的程序常常会打乱职工习以为常的习惯。

5. disturb the peace SCL law to behave in a noisy and unpleasant way in public 扰乱治安

Examples from the Corpus

disturb the peace• Foreigners are seen to contaminate their precious homogeneity and disturb the peace.• Here a total sense of calm prevails and only church bells disturb the peace.• In 1668 he found himself in gaol once again, this time on a charge of disturbing the peace.• Kenneth Jackson's crooning struck a wrong note with police who arrested him for allegedly disturbing the peace.• The accused batterer was fined $ 150 for disturbing the peace.• When she none the less returned to school, the board president had her arrested for disturbing the peace.• She promised herself never again to disturb the peace of this man's life.• Riders heard disturbing the peace will have their registrations noted, and these will then be passed on to the police.

n COLLOCATIONS

nouns

disturb somebody's sleep

Local people said their sleep was being disturbed by the noise from the aircraft.

disturb somebody's concentration

I couldn't work with the kids around disturbing my concentration.

disturb somebody's thoughts

A gentle knock on the door disturbed his thoughts.

phrases

sorry to disturb you spoken (=said to apologize for interrupting what someone is doing)

Sorry to disturb you, but could you sign this letter, please?

Examples from the Corpus

disturb• Before closing the door to his office, he told his secretary that he was not to be disturbed.• It is thought that the intruder was disturbed by a barking dog.• Marquez concluded that the generally disturbed conditions were conducive to his plan.• I got undressed in the bathroom to avoid disturbing her.• Terris does not seem to mind the electricians who undoubtedly disturb him on his preserve.• Dash had looked up from his phone one day and seen a growing bureaucracy, and it disturbed him.• The high rate of teenage pregnancy disturbs me a great deal.• Please avoid disturbing me during the day unless it's an emergency.• These injuries disturb me, for they indicate that some unorthodox methods were being tried.• The global health scene has been characterised by major steps forward but with some disturbing retrograde features.• Cutting down rainforests disturbs the Earth's balance.• When drying the flowers, be careful not to disturb the petals.• Loud frogs are disturbing the sleep of local home owners.• The study also showed a disturbing trend in another area: hours worked.• Sorry to disturb you, but could I ask a quick question?• I hope my snoring won't disturb you too much.• Try not to disturb your dad - he's working.

Do not disturb• External lighting is permitted, but make sure the intensity and direction don't disturb others.• To continue, just lay a plank to kneel on, so that you don't disturb the last rows of bricks.• You would be unlucky not to see shark, but these are no problem if you don't disturb them.• Do not disturb nesting birds or other wildlife.• Do not disturb the adult at this stage.• It is imperative that you do not disturb the meat layer which has formed at the top of the soup. 6.• Do not disturb this sleep unless there are other indications that the child is not sleeping a peaceful, healing sleep.

disturb anything• They didn't wreck anything, they hardly disturbed anything, but they examined everything.• I was careful not to disturb anything else.

Origin disturb

(1100-1200) Old French destourber, from Latin turbare “to put into disorder”

dis·turb verb →n COLLOCATIONS1

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