disturb
/dɪˈstɝb/
verb
Common
1.v.move deeply
“This book upset me”
2.v.change the arrangement or position of
3.v.tamper with
“Don't touch my CDs!”
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disturb and upset share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. disturb means “move deeply”. upset means “an unhappy and worried mental state”. upset is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/dɪˈstɝb/
1.v.move deeply
“This book upset me”
2.v.change the arrangement or position of
3.v.tamper with
“Don't touch my CDs!”
/əpˈsɛt/
1.n.an unhappy and worried mental state
“there was too much anger and disturbance”
2.n.the act of disturbing the mind or body
“his carelessness could have caused an ecological upset”
3.n.a physical condition in which there is a disturbance of normal functioning
“the doctor prescribed some medicine for the disorder”
| disturb | upset | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /dɪˈstɝb/ | /əpˈsɛt/ |
| Said | di-STURB | uhp-SET |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 7 | 5 |
| Parts of speech | verb | noun, verb, adjective |
| Senses | 5 | 17 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | upset, trouble | disturbance, perturbation |
Full entry for disturb · Full entry for upset · More comparisons