Disturbing vs. Irritating
2023-02-25
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1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between "disturbing" and "irritating."
2Hi VOA Learning English,
3My name is Hamza, and I am from Algeria.
4I have been learning English using your programs for several years.
5My question is: What is the difference between the words "disturbing" and "irritating?"
6Thank you,
7Hamza
8Dear Hamza,
9Thank you for writing to us.
10Both of these adjectives come from verbs.
11Both words can describe being upset or upsetting someone.
12But the emotions these words describe can be quite different.
13Let's look at each word more closely so we can identify the emotions behind them.
14Let's start with "disturbing."
15"Disturbing" is an adjective that comes from the verb "disturb."
16It means that something causes worry or upsets you.
17Methane gasses are disturbing because they are said to trap more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide.
18If something is disturbing, it bothers you, and makes you feel bad or is creepy.
19I hate watching horror movies because they are so disturbing.
20As a verb, "disturb" means to bother or interrupt someone so that they become upset by your actions.
21Please be quiet in the library so you don't disturb others.
22And lastly, as a verb, "disturb" means to change something's position, shape or to put it in disorder.
23My sister disturbed my clothes when she borrowed a shirt from my closet.
24They were a mess the next day!
25Let's move onto "irritating."
26Just like "disturbing," "irritating" is an adjective that comes from a verb.
27It can also describe something that makes you upset.
28But instead of feelings of worry or fear, something that is "irritating" causes you to feel annoyed or frustrated.
29Bugs flying near my head are irritating.
30My next-door neighbor is so loud. Her voice is irritating.
31"Irritate" as a verb can mean "to annoy," but it also has a medical meaning "to cause itching or soreness."
32Devan has allergies which always irritate her eyes making her cry and sneeze.
33Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you!
34What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com
35And that's Ask a Teacher.
36I'm Faith Pirlo.
1Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we will answer a question about the difference between "disturbing" and "irritating." 2Question: 3Hi VOA Learning English, 4My name is Hamza, and I am from Algeria. I have been learning English using your programs for several years. My question is: What is the difference between the words "disturbing" and "irritating?" 5Thank you, 6Hamza 7Answer 8Dear Hamza, 9Thank you for writing to us. Both of these adjectives come from verbs. Both words can describe being upset or upsetting someone. But the emotions these words describe can be quite different. Let's look at each word more closely so we can identify the emotions behind them. 10Let's start with "disturbing." 11"Disturbing" is an adjective that comes from the verb "disturb." It means that something causes worry or upsets you. 12Methane gasses are disturbing because they are said to trap more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide. 13If something is disturbing, it bothers you, and makes you feel bad or is creepy. 14I hate watching horror movies because they are so disturbing. 15As a verb, "disturb" means to bother or interrupt someone so that they become upset by your actions. 16Please be quiet in the library so you don't disturb others. 17And lastly, as a verb, "disturb" means to change something's position, shape or to put it in disorder. 18My sister disturbed my clothes when she borrowed a shirt from my closet. They were a mess the next day! 19Let's move onto "irritating." 20Just like "disturbing," "irritating" is an adjective that comes from a verb. It can also describe something that makes you upset. But instead of feelings of worry or fear, something that is "irritating" causes you to feel annoyed or frustrated. 21Bugs flying near my head are irritating. 22My next-door neighbor is so loud. Her voice is irritating. 23"Irritate" as a verb can mean "to annoy," but it also has a medical meaning "to cause itching or soreness." 24Devan has allergies which always irritate her eyes making her cry and sneeze. 25Please let us know if these explanations and examples have helped you! 26What question do you have about American English? Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com 27And that's Ask a Teacher. 28I'm Faith Pirlo. 29Faith Pirlo wrote this lesson for VOA Learning English. 30______________________________________________________________________ 31Words in This Story 32creepy - adj. annoyingly unpleasant 33annoy -v. to cause someone to get a little angry or bothered 34frustrated - adj. discouraged, or upset because of being unable to do or complete something 35allergies - n. the body's reaction to something that it is sensitive to 36_______________________________________________________________________ 37Do you have a question for the teacher? We want to hear from you. We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 38Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.